


SexyDexyNurse Tumblr Fic Compilation

by Denois



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Drabbles, M/M, Tumblr fics, and longer stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 20:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 54
Words: 21,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17008479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: All the fics and ficlets that were only posted on Tumblr





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just throwing everything at this. It's mostly NurseyDex, maybe some polyfrogs? one Whisky/Tango. 
> 
> In chronological order as I posted them to Tumblr, so, hopefully they get better as you go.

Nursey dances up on Dex, who’s uncomfortable but not leaving the area. Nursey's singing “I’m a genie in a bottle, baby. Gotta rub me the right way, honey. I’m a genie in a bottle, come come come on and let me out.”

Nursey stops singing.

Dex raises an eyebrow.

Nursey waggles his eyebrows.

Dex opens his mouth.

Nursey swallows in anticipation.

Dex leans close and whispers…. “Fine”

Nursey is like “yes, agreement.”

Dex holds up the sin bin.


	2. Chapter 2

Dex: You know, I never had trouble getting dates with anyone I found attractive until I met you.

Nursey: Oh, am I messing with your wheels, bro? #Sorry not sorry.

Dex: no, you’re just really oblivious.

Dex: Like we’ve been boyfriends for 5 months and you keep saying things like “man, I want a ginger boyfriend some day.”


	3. Chapter 3

The first time Dex wakes up to a cat curled on his chest, he thinks it’s a fluke. One of the campus cats found an opportunity to run in the Haus and took it to get out of the cold. When he woke up two weeks later with five cats curled up around him, he started to suspect something was up.

“Hey Nurse, did, Uh, did you get a cat?”

“No. Pets are against Haus rules, I think. Wouldn’t mind getting one after graduation though. Maybe an orange tabby.”

Dex looked at just such a tabby as it purred and kneaded with tiny claws poking his sternum. “Uh huh.”


	4. Chapter 4

Chowder: Would you kiss Nursey for a million dollars?

Dex: I guess. I don’t have that kind of money though.

 

Dex: Jack, can I borrow some money? It’s important.

 

(Elsewhere)

Chowder: Dex said he’d kiss you for a million dollars.

Nursey: Chill. Let me just call my bank and liquidate some cds.


	5. Chapter 5

Dex, trying not to stare at Nursey’s abs, gets distracted and guzzles an entire water bottle but half of it spills down his shirt.

Nursey: wow Dex. Drink much?

Dex: Uh, hard practice you know. Like you would say? #ThirstyOnMain

Nursey, busting out laughing: you can’t say that shit, bro. There’s connotations.

Dex, who has also been on the Internet, *aware*.


	6. Chapter 6

A “Happily Married for a Decade” AU

 

“Will, Will, Will.”

“What Derek?”

“None of the other guys in the team are even dating, Will.”

“Really? Not even Ransom and Holster?”

*shrug* “They say they aren’t.”

“I would have bet money… but anyway, so?”

“Won’t it be weird if we’re married? They’ll be weird around us.”

*sigh* “what do you want to do about it.”

“Let’s pretend we aren’t married.”

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”

*Nursey remembering how much Dex hates when he says “Chill”* “I think I have a way to make it work.”


	7. Chapter 7

Dex: Roaches are just land lobsters. It’s fine. A person, a person might want to talk to you. Or might move your stuff around. Or might eat all the pie. Or might put duct tape on the wiring of the dryer.

Nursey: Ok, but I’ve fought with people before. Roaches are probably going to survive the heat death of the universe.

Nursey: Also, now I never want to eat lobster again. So thank you for that.


	8. Chapter 8

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/145123058@N05/32459704008/in/dateposted-public/)

He’s putting up some floating bookshelves.


	9. Chapter 9

Frog joint Halloween costume planning.

Nursey: Ok, so I’ll be Finn. Obs.

Chowder: Oh, I bet I could get Cait to be Rey. And I can be Admiral Statura or Chirrut.

Nursey: Chill, but go for Statura, Rogue One is a different time frame. And Dex, you can be General Hux.

Dex: Uh, no. I’m not going to be a space Nazi just because I have red hair.

Nursey: Not… just… because you have red hair….

Dex *level glare*: What are you trying to say?

Nursey: There is also a similar temperament component.

Dex: No. Hux is grumpy because he is a fascist who has to obey a whiny man child. I’m grumpy because my friends are idiots.

Nursey: Well, we aren’t going to let you whitewash Poe, so do you want to be Chewie or a droid?

Dex: Fuck you, I’ll be a random resistance pilot.


	10. Chapter 10

Nursey, after Dex comes out: So, did you ever have a crush on a teammate?

Dex: oh sure.

Nursey, forgetting how to breathe: yeah? Who?

Dex: well, Jack, obviously. That ass? Those cheekbones.

Nursey: That all?

Dex: And Ransom. So smart. And those cheekbones. I think I might have a thing for cheekbones.

Nursey, resisting the urge to rub his cheekbones but barely: just those two, huh?

Dex: watching Chowder do the splits will probably always do something for me.

Nursey, about to vibrate out of his skin: yeah. That’s fair.

Dex: Ollie and Wicks. It’s nice to not be the only competent one around. They’re cool. But I can’t even really think of them separate.

Nursey: yeah, I can understand competency kinks.

Dex: Johnson. Only met him once, but he was really hot.

Nursey: wait, who?

Dex: And Bitty of course. Tango, Whiskey, Stenny, Holly.

Nursey: are you just naming everyone but me now?


	11. Chapter 11

Dex: My love is deeper than the ocean.

Nursey: Ocean’s salty, bro.

Dex: So am I.


	12. Chapter 12

“Their collective-bargaining agreement also guarantees ECHL players a furnished bedroom within a furnished, utilities-paid apartment — a benefit that varies in value based on the cost of living in each city. Married players are entitled to their own furnished, utilities-paid apartment.”

 

Nursey: look Dex, we get a place if we’re married. It’s just good economics, Dex.

Nursey: married filing jointly protects assets better, bro.

Dex: you almost failed that accounting class… but you’re not wrong.


	13. Chapter 13

The Frogs plan a coordinated, but not exactly group, costume endeavor for Halloween. 

Nursey, has not been paying attention.   
Dex: Ok, well, I guess that works, Chow. I can go as Cinderella.   
Nursey, somehow managing to trip even though he’s sitting down: “What? um. Ok. Yeah. I can work with that." 

Time for the Halloween kegster and they meet up in Chowder’s room. Small problem.   
Dex looks like:

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/145123058@N05/45608437244/in/dateposted-public/)

and Nursey looks like:

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/145123058@N05/45608439474/in/dateposted-public/)

Dex: Um, are you dressed up as…Prince Charming?   
Nursey: You said you were going to be Cinderella? What the hell, bro?   
Dex: Yeah, like, one of the members of the band, Cinderella. We agreed on dressing up as rock stars from the 80s.   
Chowder: Oh No! What are we going to do?  
Nursey: Well, I don’t have anything else. 

And Nursey is kind of preoccupied staring at Dex in leather pants and pretty much no shirt. Luckily, Dex can still function. 

Dex: Ok. I can fix this. Give me the gloves. Take off the belt. Let’s remove these chains and the epaulettes. Do you have an undershirt on?  
Dex, already unbuttoning the jacket without waiting for a reply: Oh good, a white tank. So, boom. Close enough to Freddie.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> per your prompt post, how ‘bout the set of 8/42/61/(71 or 82)? I’m sure nothing horrible could happen.
> 
> 8 “This isn’t what I wanted.”  
> 42 “Why are you shaking?”  
> 61 “I told you not to fall in love with me.”  
> 71 “I’ve got you.”  
> ————————————————————
> 
> Tw: anxiety like attack, it does not last long.

“Chris.” Dex’s voice wavered and he blindly felt behind him for something to hold onto.

Chowder was at his side in seconds. “Dex? Why are you shaking?” His voice was worried, but it sounded far away.

“This isn’t what I wanted.” Dex grabbed his hand and held tightly. “Not today.”

“Oh shit. Are you having a panic attack?” Chowder carefully guided him into a chair and then pressed Dex’s hand to his own chest. “Breathe with me ok? In two three, hold two three, out two three.”

Dex tried to focus on his words and follow along, but it was hard, so hard to keep from gulping for air. “He’s not going to be there. Why would he even show up? Or he’ll see me and realize what a mistake he’s making and run.”

Chowder knelt carefully in front of him and took Dex’s face in his hands, forcing him to look him in the eyes. Eyes that were fierce and brooked no opposition, goalie eyes, met his and Chowder spoke slowly and determined. “He is going to be there. I already checked on him and he is as happy about this as you are. You are going to go out there and meet him in the middle and you are going to hold his hand and you are going to be happy.”

“But-”

“No. No buts but hockey butts. Now move yours.” Chowder stood and pulled Dex up out of the chair. “Come on. I’ve got you.”

Dex allowed himself to be pulled up and allowed Chowder to clean his face off and adjust his tie.

“Ok. Now, let’s go out there and get your man,” Chowder said, the cheerful tone back in his voice.

Chowder opened the door and they stepped out and onto the path of the arena. Dex ignored the gathered faces and focused straight ahead, trembling slightly again. Once Nursey stepped out opposite him, he felt himself relax marginally.

~***~

“I told you not to fall in love with me.” Dex held Nursey’s gaze, a fire in his own. “Years ago.”

“You did.” Nursey smiled, a small twitch of his lips. “But only because you’re ornery.”

“Or maybe because I knew that you’re so passive aggressive that you’d fall in love just to spite me.” Dex’s lips twitched back and he tightened his grip.

“Damn, and here I thought that was my scheme all along.” Nursey tightened his grip in return, pulling Dex in close.

Chowder’s voice rang out around them, forcing them to pause their discussion. “As the best man, it’s my pleasure to present the new couple! And now the first dance.”

The lights dimmed around the room as the first notes of “At Last” rang out to be joined with Etta James’ sweet voice. A spotlight highlighted Nursey’s hair and cheeks and Dex felt weak in the knees. Luckily, Nursey was holding him tight around the waist and he recovered to move with Nursey in the dance.

“And you are mine, at last.” Dex smiled at his husband.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one may become a full fic at some point.

Nursey, who’s read Holes 5,000 times: *says anything*

Dex: I can fix that.

Nursey: *oblivious*

Nursey, who has watched Princess Bride at least three dozen times during his college career: *finally straight up asks for something after three years*

Dex: As you wish.

Nursey: *oblivious*

Nursey: why does Dex hate me?

SMH: *facepalm*


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from bittyvevo
> 
> a fic where dex is desperately trying to hide the fact that his favorite movie in the whole wide world is cheetah girls 2

“At least it’s summer and we can finally take a break!” Chowder’s voice was full of excitement for the coming break from the rigors of college.

But his words triggered an automatic response in Dex’s brain before he could think about what he was saying.

“Excuse me?”

“Or not!” Chowder actually meeped and shrunk away, but Dex didn’t notice because he was still busy packing his stuff.

“Exactly.” Dex looked up, a small smile playing across his lips. When he noticed Chowder’s expression it dropped instantly. “Hey, Chris. I was joking. I’m as relieved as you are to have a break from classes. Even if I am going to miss you.”

Chowder’s grin returned and they finished shoving clothes into suitcases. Neither noticed Holster standing at the doorway with his brow furrowed in thought.

——

A kegster the day before early practice was probably the worst idea that Ransom and Holster had had as captains. Dex was not impressed, but mostly he was tired. He was very very tired.

 

That’s the only excuse he had for skating into Nursey, laying his head on his shoulder and then yelling out to his captains, and the rest of the team, and the coaches. “Please let’s take a nap. Come on. That party was bananas and I can’t bounce back the way I used to when I was 12.”

The good news was that the coaches didn’t decide that suicides were an appropriate response to hearing that the team had thrown a kegster when it would impact practice.

The bad news was that Holster responded, “But we’ve only been rehearsing for 30 minutes?”

Dex blinked slowly as he suddenly felt cold.

After practice, he managed to grab Holster and pull him into the equipment room.

“It’s not what you think!”

“So, you haven’t been randomly quoting Cheetah Girls 2 at us for the past year? Because I watched it again over break to be sure, and you definitely have been.” Holster was grinning, his huge teeth flashing in the low light.

“Come on, bro. Please don’t chirp me for this. It’s my cousin’s favorite movie and I had to watch her when she broke her leg. She made me watch it every day for two months. Two months, Holster. Anyone would have the quotes ingrained in their brain after that!” Dex knew his voice was high and whiny as he pleaded, but he didn’t care.

Holster leaned back and appraised him with the face that he clearly thought was captainy. “Ok, but quoting it is a fineable offense for you now. If I catch you quoting it again, it’s 50 cents in the sin bin.”

“Yeah. Ok. Sure. I can deal with that.” Dex fist bumped him in thanks and ran out of Faber and back to his dorm.

He’d planned to take a nap, but after that adrenaline rush, he didn’t think he’d manage to before his first class. Instead he booted up his laptop and pulled up his movie queue.

Quoting it might be a fineable offense, but Holster didn’t say he couldn’t watch it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #27 &49, nurseydex please? 
> 
> 27\. Sick/Injured Fic 
> 
> 49\. Fake Married 
> 
> (I said I’d write a drabble. I wrote something longer than over half my fics on AO3.)
> 
> TW hospitalization, talk of death (no actual death), talk of surgery and aftermath

When they’d agreed to get married for the health insurance, Dex had only had five, very minor, crises. 

He never would have agreed to it, but well. Nursey had had very compelling arguments.

“So, bro. You know how we’re living together to save money? Well, I guess freelance writing doesn’t really have health insurance? And I’m turning 26, so I can’t be on my ma’s anymore. I was thinking, we should get married and that will give us tax benefits and I can be on your insurance.” Nursey had had a powerpoint and everything.

“This just sounds like it’s going to increase the cost of my insurance.” Dex had not been swayed. 

See, the thing was, his company offered two insurance options. One was really good, low copays, low deductible, expansive provider network. And it cost about half his paycheck in premiums just for him, much less a spouse or family option. But Dex almost never got sick beyond a seasonal cold that only lasts a day or two, so he had signed up for the cheap crap. Yearly check ups were covered 100% but everything else was under a deductible and would cost a ton. 

“I’ll pay the difference.” Nursey was trying to give puppy eyes, as if that worked more than 60% of the time.

Dex closed his eyes and sighed. “It won’t work. I have the crap insurance because I never need to go to the doctor. But you trip and hurt yourself every other week. Even if, IF, we got married so I could add you to my insurance, they won’t let me change plans until open enrollment which means it won’t go into effect until next January. You’d still be essentially without insurance for almost a full year. Just get something on the marketplace.”

Nursey pressed a button to advance to the next slide. The title proclaimed “Why not the marketplace?” Apparently, Dex was more predictable than he thought. Dex frowned.

Nursey was grinning. “Health insurance is only one of the benefits of us getting married. I don’t actually need the health insurance, I can pay for any hospital visits and such. But the tax benefits of having health insurance and of being married are really good. Especially when there’s an income disparity because you get double the tax shelter. And since most of my money doesn’t count as ordinary income and you have almost no capital gains, we can share those shelters.”

Dex could feel his brow furrowing, but Nursey pressed on. “Plus, we’d get to have a wedding and you know how happy it would make your ma to see you get married. She worries, Will. She worries.”

And maybe that was what did it. Because Dex knew that his ma loved Nursey, probably more than she loved Dex himself. According to Ransom’s Excel there was a 93% chance that she loved Nursey more than Dex and Dex had more faith in Ransom’s Excel than anything else on Earth. 

The wedding happened in March. It only happened that quick because apparently neither of their moms had any chill and had been planning it behind their backs for years. Which is when the crises started. 

The first internal crisis was about how he couldn’t tell his Ma that it wasn’t real because she was so happy that they’d “finally gotten everything sorted and were willing to tell the family.”

The second internal crisis was because holy shit, it is real for him but it’s not for Nursey. 

The third internal crisis was about how to keep Nursey from realizing it was real while making his Ma think it was. Actually, the fourth and fifth were about that too. 

The ceremony was beautiful and Dex might have kept a photo of Nursey and him in his wallet. Nursey wearing Dex’s grandmother’s veil along with his tux, both of them with stephanotis blossoms at the lapel. It was a great photo.

The honeymoon was typical. Nursey had booked a honeymoon suite, insisting they had to go all in with a honeymoon and everything or people would know. Dex had spent the week sleeping on the couch. It was a really comfortable couch, all things considered. 

And then things had pretty much gone back to normal. 

All of this ran through Dex’s mind in mid December. He was pretty sure that the abdominal pain, nausea and fever were just a minor stomach virus, or maybe a result of letting Nursey cook the night before. But right before he passed out, he had a clear and definite thought that Nursey had jinxed him and this was definitely all Nursey’s fault. 

 

 

When he woke up, it was to soft whirring of machines and an incessant beeping noise. A man stood next to his bed, making notes from one of the displays. 

“Where’m I?”

“Allen Hospital. You had acute appendicitis. They probably would have had you up and out in a few hours, but it burst and they want to make sure there’s no infection.” The nurse had a nice voice. And nice cheekbones. And nice, shiny black hair. 

“I need to call my ma. She’ll kill me if I die without telling her I’m in the hospital.” Dex dragged his eyes away from the hot nurse and tried to find his phone.

His search was interrupted by a snort. “You aren’t going to die. Most likely. You’re recovering really well. And I think your husband called your parents.”

“My husband?” Dex turned back to the very attractive but obviously confused nurse.

“Mmhmm. Tall, dark, and handsome? Head over heels for you? Ringing any bells? A bit of memory loss happens sometimes with the anesthesia.” 

Dex thought the nurse was laughing at him. Not out loud, just in the eyes. He let his head sink back against the pillow again. “Nursey. You’re mostly right. We’re just married for the tax benefits, and health insurance.” He didn’t remember giving his mouth permission to say that out loud. Or to sound so wistful.

“I’ve seen tax benefit spouses. That man is no tax benefit spouse. He hadn’t left this room for over 24 hours until I forced him to go get some food.” The nurse paused and looked thoughtful. “He told me that as soon as he left, you’d wake up, just out of spite and pettiness. I’d guess he really knows you.”

Dex decided that the hot nurse had a really nice smile and a mean chirp. He should tell Nursey to wheel the nurse. First because the phrase amused him, but also, well, Nursey should have a chance to find someone he really wanted to be with. Not just someone for tax benefits and that he lived with to save money. 

“If I die, it’s ok. I’ve already been living in hell. Got everything I want, but only on paper.” Dex sighed and let his eyes close.

 

 

The next time Dex woke up, the room was brighter, so it was probably day time. He was also concerned that something had gone horribly wrong while he slept because he was pretty sure he now had a crush injury to his hand. He needed his phone so he could text Ransom and ask if that was a normal complication from appendectomies. 

The problem was that his hand was still in a lot of pain, and when he tried to move it he couldn’t. Trying to move it did change the pain though. The crushing feeling lifted and was quickly replaced with pins and needles as the blood flow returned to his fingers, and then the crushing feeling came back, but on his chest. 

“You’re awake! I was so worried. Seth said that you woke up while I was gone. I told him that you’d do that just to be contrary.” Nursey’s voice was muffled because he seemed to be speaking directly into Dex’s sternum. 

Dex flapped his hands at Nursey. “Can’t breathe.”

Finally, Nursey pulled back slightly, turning his head and allowing his eyes to roam over Dex’s face. 

Dex felt a pain in his chest that he couldn’t attribute to the weight of a former hockey player laying on him, so he averted his gaze. “Seth the nurse? Wicked hot Asian? With the nice cheekbones?”

Dex felt Nursey pull back even more. “Uh. yeah.” His voice sounded stilted. 

“You should ask him out. He seemed nice. You’d make a super attractive couple.” The beauty of saying this after surgery was that the roughness of his voice could completely be blamed on the tube they’d had down his throat the day before and not on emotions.

“It’s pretty unchill to hit on your husband’s nurse while your hubby is in the hospital.” 

Dex lifted a hand and waved it a bit. “It’s ok. I explained that you only married me for my tax benefits. He’ll understand.” Dex furrowed his brow in concentration. “Maybe he’ll stop arguing with me about that being true too. Whatever. I got to be married to you. Now you should get a chance to be happy.”

Dex knew he was staring past Nursey’s right ear and also decided it was a good time to close his mouth and keep it that way. Apparently, he was on some medications with side effects that included his mouth saying things without input from his brain. Wasn’t there some rule about informed consent and telling people about side effects like that?

“God. You really are a dumbass.” Nursey’s voice sounded impossibly fond, almost as fond as his lips felt a second later as they pressed against Dex’s. They’d kissed at their wedding, of course. But as much as he’d thought about that kiss while alone in his bed or the shower, it was short and perfunctory. Nothing at all like the soft, tender, exploratory kiss that Nursey was laying on him now. 

Nursey started to pull away and Dex fought gravity to get his hands on Nursey and pull him back. “I may be dead but if they messed up and sent me to heaven, I’m getting my money’s worth.” 

Nursey returned the kiss languidly until the machine monitoring Dex’s pulse started beeping loudly. Pulling back, he cupped Dex’s face and let his thumb trail over his cheek. “Once you’re fully recovered, I’d like a do over on our honeymoon.”

Dex allowed his head to press into Nursey’s hand. “Yeah. That sounds like a plan.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [Draskireis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis):  
> #63 for NurseyDex from your post (everyone but them?), otherwise #2; #70 for WhiskeyTango
> 
> 2\. Royal AU  
> 70\. Locked in a Room

Five minutes ago, Tango had been walking towards the Haus with Whiskey, and considering the best way to ask him if he was straight or not.

Four minutes ago, both of their phones had chimed with a campus emergency alert.

Three minutes ago, a group of lax bros had surrounded them and shuffled them into a room under the lax house that seemed to be solid concrete with a steel door.

Two minutes ago, Whiskey had assured him that the ventilation system was secure and sufficient and they weren’t going to suffocate in the near future.

One minute ago, Tango had asked Whiskey the question that popped into his head when the lax bros surrounded him.

Right now, Whiskey was avoiding his gaze.

“Whiskey? Connor? Why did they call you ‘your highness’? Why did they call me ‘your grace’? Why did the lax bros shove us into a cell? Why is there a cell under the lax house anyway?”

Whiskey finally ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “It’s not a cell. It’s a panic room. I’m not sure, but it probably has to do with the alerts on our phones.”

Tango waited for him to finish answering, but he’d gone quiet and seemed content to leave the other questions.

“Whiskey?” Tango reached out a hand, but decided it was a bad idea and let it drop just as it got near Whiskey’s elbow. “You know something that I don’t. And that’s ok. Do you want to do anything while we wait?”

There was a couch and a cot in the bunker and Tango decided that the couch was the better place to sit. It looked cleaner than the one from the Haus, so it was probably safe. His phone wasn’t getting any signal inside the room, but he had some games he could play until the battery ran out. And maybe he could write some notes for his homework in the notes app.

There were lots of things he could do other than stare at or annoy his crush with a ton of questions.

He was looking over his apps list when he felt the couch dip beside him. “They called me ‘your highness’ because it’s the proper form of address for a prince. Which I am. It’s a tiny island country in Europe that absolutely no one has heard of, so it doesn’t really matter. The lax bros that escorted us in here aren’t really lax bros. Or maybe they are. Either way, they’re my security and supposed to make sure I’m safe. But they’re also supposed to keep a distance most of the time because the whole point of going to school at Samwell was to keep a low profile.”

Tango was staring at Whiskey’s profile. He knew he should stop but he couldn’t. First, this was the most he’d heard Whiskey say at one time for the whole time that they’d known each other. Second, what he’d said was completely reshaping everything Tango thought he knew about the world.

It seemed that Tango’s world was still being shaken like an etch-a-sketch, because Whiskey kept talking. “The fact that they called you ‘your grace’ indicates that you are a duke. I’d ask why you didn’t tell me but.” Whiskey finally moved, shrugging his shoulder slightly. “Your question indicates that you didn’t know. And it would be pretty hypocritical, since I didn’t tell you that I’m a prince.”

Whiskey turned and looked at Tango, finally. Tango wasn’t sure what to think from the stoic and flat look that he was getting, but that was how Whiskey looked most of the time.

“And to answer the question you were going to ask me before our walk was interrupted, I’m gay.”

Tango wasn’t really impressed with life as an etch-a-sketch. He’d like just a few minutes to actually settle. Instead, he allowed himself a few deep breaths before he licked his lips and said, “Ok. I just have one more question.”

Whiskey only raised an eyebrow in response, so Tango continued, “Are dukes allowed to kiss princes?”

Whiskey’s lips twitched slightly and Tango’s eyes were laser focused on them as they drew closer and closer, pausing just above his own. “Yeah. That’s allowed.”

Tango didn’t even consider the fact that the duke hadn’t kissed the prince until much later. For the next few minutes, he was wholly occupied by the fact that Whiskey was kissing him and sliding warm hands up his back under his shirt.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ricekrispyjoints asked:
> 
> #66 for the fic prompts 2 is literally the most nurseydex prompt i've ever seen and i would be grateful if you wrote it
> 
> “If I die, I’m never speaking to you again.”
> 
> I wavered back and forth on who I wanted to have say this, but this was the first full plot that I liked, so here you go. I hope you like it. Obviously, some morbid humor involved.

“If I die, I’m never speaking to you again.”

Will didn’t look over or stop what he was doing. “Is that a promise?”

“Why are you trying to kill me? I thought you loved me.” Derek’s voice turned whiny. “My arms hurt. I’m going to fall. It will be all your fault.”

Will snorted. “What happened to your hockey muscles, Nurse? Letting yourself get soft in your old age?”

“I never had to hold a heavy ass shelf completely still for hours when I was playing hockey. You still haven’t denied the murder attempt, I notice.”

“It’s only been five minutes. And I have a 100% career save rate on your life, so I think this is the safest place you could be really.”

“Nuh uh. C wouldn’t try to kill me.”

“Chow only has a 50% save rate. You ended up in the ER that one time.” Will stepped back and put his drill down. “You can let go now, the brackets are holding it up.”

“Finally!” Derek lifted his fists in triumph and immediately wobbled on the ladder.

Will stepped in quickly, bracing Derek’s back with his hand and anchoring him to the ladder. “Let’s get back on the floor before celebrating.”

Once Will was sure Derek was on the floor, and safely away from all the tools, the looked around the room.

“I can’t believe you made me help you build a bookshelf for someone else.” Derek wrapped an arm around Will’s shoulders, squeezing.

“I can’t believe you’re envious of our child.”

“You’ve never built me a bookshelf, Poindexter.”

“The built-ins count, jerk.”

Derek smiled and pulled Will around to bring their mouths together in a slow kiss. “Well, ok. I’ll let that one slide.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU suggestion
> 
> shitty-check-please-aus  
> Nursey was once a professional curler. He was, perhaps, the most famous curler in the world, which is still not that famous.

He was on the Norwegian Olympic curling team. It’s easy to understand why no one recognized him. The pants were the famous part of the team and it’s not like he wore them to class. 

He’d considered wearing them to class. They were really comfortable. They stretched and clung in all the right places. You could do yoga in those pants. You could curl in those pants. He kind of loved them more than the fans did.

But he’d heard the derisive snorts. “I guess if I can’t play hockey, there’s always curling.” “Bro, I’d rather just not get on the ice again.”

So he didn’t tell anyone. He just couldn’t quite seem to stop himself from bringing the pants with him each semester. Not even when he moved in with William J Poindexter and he wouldn’t even be able to wear them to lounge in.

Unless. 

There was no way Dex followed curling. He’d probably think they were just weird hipster pants. 

So he wore them.

Dex rolled his eyes when he saw.

“It’s called fashion, Dexy. Look it up.” Nursey smiled, happy to have the best of both worlds, annoying Dex and wearing super comfy fun pants.

Dex actually snorted in reply. “Sure, Nurse. But they always looked better on Petersson.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this isn't really fic like. Just a hc/idea

I just keep thinking about Nursey expecting Dex to be jealous because of his temper, and protectiveness, and low self esteem. And like, he tries not to be as physically affectionate with his friends and stuff to account for his bf’s feelings but that’s kind of who he is, so he can’t always help it. And Dex catches him sometimes draped over a friend, or getting and giving hugs and cheek kisses and stuff and Dex doesn’t say anything. But Nursey thinks Dex is just trying to be a good bf too and not argue.

 

Until finally Nursey apologizes for it and explains that he’s been really trying not to make Dex feel like that and Dex just stares at him. And Dex has to take his hand, and kiss him, and press their foreheads together and say.

 

“You’re a dumbass.” Because Dex isn’t jealous. He completely trusts Nursey and he knows Nursey is a physically affectionate person with his friends and would never want him to change that (the annoyingness and pretentiousness, sure maybe, but not the affection he has for his friends). Dex is like “one day, you’re gonna realize that I somehow conned you into dating me and you’re gonna get out as fast as you can. I’m prepared for that. But if you wanted to be with someone else, you’d be with them, not me, you wouldn’t keep being with me. And stopping you from being around your friends isn’t going to keep you with me any longer.”

 

And Nursey’s like, “why tf do you think I’m going to leave you?”

 

And Dex is like woah, this is too much feelings talk, really. But he answers “because things this good always end, they never stay around for long.” And then he smiles and kisses Nursey again and goes to a study group or work and Nursey’s just like wtf? Because he *is* used to getting to keep nice things and damnit, he plans on keeping that boy.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Based on this post](http://vanillivilovesreus.tumblr.com/post/180237324640/bravedad-i-wonder-how-many-people-im-in-the-id)

They were all sitting around, the credits rolling from whatever movie had been on for team bonding, everyone just a little tipsy from the beers that had been passed around, but only enough to feel a little loose. 

Nursey looked over to where Ransom and Holster were sharing a single armchair, Ransom’s hand running through Holster’s hair and Holster leaning into it like a cat getting it’s ears scratched. “I wonder how many people I’m in the ‘I’d be down with it if you asked’ zone with.”

Dex’s snort ruffled his hair and Nursey suddenly remembered that he’d distracted himself during the movie by leaning further and further into Dex’s personal space to see when he’d get pushed away. He was practically in Dex’s lap now, and still hadn’t been pushed off the couch. His eyes flicked around the room, wondering if anyone else was as surprised as he was.

“As if you don’t know exactly how many.”

Straining, Nursey turned his head to look at Dex, or as much of Dex as he could. “Oh? And how many should I know about, Poindexter?”

 

Dex closed his eyes and appeared to be doing mental math because he was moving his lips and muttering slightly under his breath. It was so soft, that probably even without the credits music no one else would be able to hear. But Nursey was pressed up against his chest. 

“3,400 enrolled in Samwell, total for the length of time he’s been here, 1150 students at Andover when Nursey graduated, plus 300 from the previous graduating class that knew him as a junior, not going further back than that because it’s creepy, lives in NYC so assume he sees at least 100 new strangers each day when he goes outside somewhere but he wouldn’t do that everyday but over the past four years let’s estimate that he’s gone outside in NYC at least 100 times a year so that’s 40000 over those four years, plus the people he knows as neighbors and from his favorite shops add another let’s say 50, the other teams we’ve played against and their fans for the past 2 years let’s call that another 3,000. Add it up.” 

Dex opened his eyes. “47,900, give or take.”

Nursey continued staring at him, it was starting to hurt, but he couldn’t seem to stop. 3,400 people are enrolled at Samwell. Well, like 2,800 right now, and 600 that graduated since they’d started. That was the entire student body. “You mean 47,899, right?”

Dex’s brow furrowed as he considered that. “I figured that you would be down for yourself, but I guess we can not count you.”

Nursey’s heart raced as he suddenly felt weightless. Then he made impact with the floor and his elbow really hurt, but his brain was still screaming. Dex included himself in that number.


	23. Chapter 23

Every payday, Dex goes to the store and buys a tin of cinnamon Altoids. He eats one per day, but if anyone is around when he pulls out his daily mint, he offers them one. It’s a small ritual, putting the strong mint in his mouth, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath so the bracing feeling goes through his sinuses. And then he moves on with his day.

 

No one really thinks about it, until it’s nearly Christmas and the SMH decides to do a gift for Angel Tree. On payday, Dex puts in his money with the rest, goes with Bitty to pick out the gift even.

It’s a couple days later, they’re studying together and Chowder has a bad taste in his mouth from something at breakfast, so he asks Dex if he can have an Altoid. Dex tells him that he’s sorry, but he’s out. Chowder and Nursey are confused. “You always get a new tin on payday.” Dex shrugs. “It’s a luxury. Not a necessity.”

 

It’s not until much later, when they are trying to fall asleep, that they realize, that tin of Altoids is his special “just for him, just because” purchase each payday, the one luxury to offset all the money that goes to bills and needs. But that month, he already used the luxury money.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:
> 
> ok for that prompt thing nursey, coffeeshop au, meet messy, “did you just hack into my hotspot”

Will should have suspected there was something suspicious about an empty coffee shop just off Central Park. True, the coffee was over roasted and brewed too hot, and just generally tasted bad. But he’d had worse and the hot barista should have been enough to convince at least a few other people to stick it out.

Then he asked about wifi and found out that this was apparently the only coffee shop in the five boroughs, if not the country, without wifi.

And, well, he’d already spent the money on the coffee, so he sat down, opened his laptop and tried to guess the password for the guest wifi at the Ritz-Carlton. He wasn’t really having much luck, until he decided to try “Password”. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work. Then he went out on a limb and tried “Password1”. Which did work.

“Did you just hack into my hotspot?”

Will jerked his head up to look at the wicked hot barista. (He really should have paid attention to the guy’s name, but oh well.) “Um, maybe?”

“What do you mean ‘maybe’? Either you did or you didn’t. But you’re the only one here and it says there’s another computer connected. WPoindexter. That’s you, isn’t it? You’re stealing my wifi.” Hot barista was now approaching Will, arms crossed.

Will sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Sorry. I thought it was the Ritz. I’ll leave.”

“No! Don’t leave.” For the first time, the guy seemed flustered.

“Uh, ok? It’s just, you said you don’t have public wifi, and I need to get some work done, so, I need to go… find wifi.” Will gestured vaguely at his laptop and then the world at large.

“Look, you’re my only customer and it gets really lonely. You could have just asked for the password instead of hacking me like some cyber criminal. Wait, are you a cyber criminal?” Hot guy, who’s name was apparently Derek now that he was close enough to see the name tag, narrowed his eyes at Will.

Will closed his eyes briefly before responding. “Actually, I work in cyber security. And you need to get a better password. Seriously.”

Derek shrugged and then pulled out the chair opposite and sat down. “So, here’s my offer, you stay, let me talk to you a bit, and I’ll let you use my hotspot.”

“Thanks, but, what I’m doing is probably going to use a lot of data if you’re on a mobile hotspot.”

Derek waved off his words. “Don’t worry about that, it’s chill. I pay them to let me use all the data I want. I’m always streaming stuff. Hockey games, ballet, slam poetry, tv shows, whatever.”

Will rubbed his temple. “Ok. Fine.”

Derek flashed a grin at him and then narrowed his eyes again. “Wait, were you planning to steal wifi from the Ritz?”

Will let his shoulders slump. “Do you really think one more person on their network would make a difference?”

“Chill. You’re right. So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Hockey’s good. I used to play some in college.”

“Chill. Me too.”

~*~

The next day, the coffee shop was empty once again when Will showed up. He pushed past Derek’s relaxed smile, which turned into a confused frown, and into the back office like he owned the place before immediately getting to the business of installing a proper wifi router set up for customers and a second set up for the shop to use for business purposes.

Derek watched from the doorway until Will stood back up.

“Ok. One problem down.” He brushed his hands off and pushed back out to the production area and pulled a panel off the machine. It didn’t take long to find the bad connection that was causing the water to overheat and get it fixed. “And now the coffee should be better, too. You’ll have plenty of customers in no time.”

Derek’s face fell for a second before sliding back into an easy smile. “Chill. Thanks, I guess. You didn’t have to. I can pay you.”

Will looked at him in confusion. “I thought you said you got bored when there was no one here. Thought you’d want to get more customers in. Isn’t that how businesses typically work?”

“Yeah. I guess. I just, kind of, maybe, have been telling people I’m closed.”

Will blinked at him. “Why?”

“I don’t actually want to run a business? I want to work on my poetry. But my dad said I needed to ‘stoke my entrepreneurial spirit’ or something. So. Here I am.”

“Ok. But then, why didn’t you tell me to get lost yesterday?”

Derek suddenly seemed to find the counter very interesting. “Because you’re hot?”

Will rocked back on his heels. Since when did wicked hot guys call him hot? Especially considering the fact that Derek must have seen much hotter people come by before Will.

But shit, Will knew what to do when the puck was on his tape and he had a clear shot on goal. “So, instead of paying me for the repair and router install, why don’t we go get lunch somewhere that actually makes a decent cup of coffee?”

Derek’s eyes flicked up and he smiled. “Chill.”


	25. Chapter 25

Dex: I think I’ve loved you from the moment we met. Even though you irritate and annoy me, I can’t imagine not having you in my life.

 

Nursey: Babe, that’s so embarrassing for you.

 

Dex: We are literally getting married right now, Nurse. These are my vows.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is out of order because I didn't tag it correctly. another hc/idea/not fic

Dex gives really good back/shoulder/neck rubs. Completely non-sexual, just working class people carrying tension in the shoulders and neck and he’s got it down on how to apply just the right pressure at the right times to get those muscles to relax. 

 

And at first, he doesn’t give anyone a back rub at Samwell and no one knows his talent. Until Ransom is coming out of coral reef mode and still really tense, so he gives Ransom a massage. Then, it slowly becomes a thing that when members of the team are really stressed and tense, they can go to Dex and he’ll give them a massage and they’ll feel better. By the end of sophomore year, he’s given pretty much every member of SMH a back rub at some point or another. Except Nursey. Who insists that he’s chill and doesn’t need one.

Then they are roommates and Dex is like “you are carrying so much tension in your shoulders, you make Atlas look like he’s never lifted anything heavier than a feather.” And he gives Nursey a shoulder rub. Then he’s pretty much giving Nursey a shoulder rub every week, then every other day. 

Towards the end of their junior year, Nursey’s sister catches them after a game and is like “sibling weekend! I’ve got reservations at . It’s been ages since you got one of ’s massages. Remember how you used to have to get one every weekend in high school?” And then she whisks away with him. 

And Dex looks up the spa and sees how much those massages cost and he stops rubbing Nursey’s back. And Nursey’s like “but Poindextrous, I do so much better with your massages.”

But Dex is like, blank face. “There’s no way that my back rubs are anywhere near as good as the $500 massages from a licensed massage therapist, although I doubt the gemstones actually help.”

Now Nursey is pouting and he makes a noncommittal gesture. “Maybe not quite as good, but close enough. Plus you’re here. And hotter.”

Something something.

They smoosh their faces together and Nursey gets daily back rubs even though he’s complete crap at trying to return the favor. Eventually Nursey talks Dex into letting him give him a certificate for a massage at the spa and Dex is like “yeah, that was weird with the gemstones. What the hell was the point of that?”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU suggestion
> 
> shitty-check-please-aus  
> Nursey has never encountered a leaf before
> 
>  
> 
> sexydexynurse  
> This is canon. He first encountered leaves at Samwell. It’s why he loves them so much
> 
>  
> 
> sexydexynurse  
> Also consider, this means leaves have never before encountered Nursey, which explains why they follow him around everywhere.
> 
>  
> 
> vanillivilovesreus  
> @acepoindexter #nursey #den this makes me so nervous#wtf do you mean the leaves have never encountered nursey before???? this is so ominous im anxious??? hello?????????
> 
> what do you mean this is ominous, they’re just curious about nursey!! they have never met him!! they like him!!

Imagine you are a leaf. You’re living your best life, hanging out on a tree, thinking thoughts like “tree! I love the wind in my me.” But you’re a deciduous leaf, so eventually you have to leave home and you go hang out on the ground and you move into a co-op with a bunch of other leaves.

 

And like, you’ve seen humans before. They’re kinda weird. Some like to crunch your brethren (!!), but for the most part, it’s whatever. You’ve heard about all these humans before from the tree and other leaves. Nothing to write grove about, you know?

 

But then, one day, Derek Malik Nurse appears and joins your leaf co-op for a time. And he doesn’t stay like you and the other leaves, but he comes back really regularly. And none of the other leaves have heard anything about him. Tree hadn’t heard anything about him. Completely unknown quantity here, fronds.

 

But, I mean, he seems nice (other than your sneaking suspicion that he keeps the corpses of your ancestors pressed into thin sheets) and he’s pretty quiet mostly and aesthetically pleasing from a leaf perspective (and judging by the other humans’ reactions, moreso from a human perspective). So you become friends. But he leaves the co-op sometimes. And you still want to hang out with him. So you ask if you can go with. And he doesn’t say No…. so you go with…


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:
> 
> 17 & 58 for nurseydex???
> 
> 17: “It’s New Years, aren’t you going to kiss me?”
> 
> 58: “Did someone spike the eggnog?”
> 
>  
> 
> From this list
> 
> https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/181270653025/137-winter-writing-prompts
> 
> Fanblog For Check Please

“3…2…1! Happy New Year!” The crowd cheered as fireworks exploded and noisemakers popped all around.

Dex looked at Nursey from the corner of his eye. They’d managed to get a pretty quiet spot, out on Jack’s balcony while everyone else was inside watching the ball drop on tv.

“It’s New Years, aren’t you going to kiss me?” Dex kept himself faced towards the rail, he wasn’t sure where he’d gotten the courage to ask, but he definitely didn’t have the confidence to believe the answer would be yes.

“Did someone spike the eggnog?”

Dex felt himself deflate. It could be worse. Blowing it off with a chirp about Dex being a lightweight wasn’t so bad. It meant they could probably pretend it never happened in a couple of days.

When he risked another sideways look, Nursey was staring at his cup and frowning.

“Are you on Nursey Patrol, because it’s time to cut me off. I’m hearing things.” Nursey looked up and pushed his cup towards Dex.

“No one spiked the eggnog, Nurse. It’s fine. Just, don’t worry about it.” Dex stared up at the fireworks, telling himself that he was blinking so much because of the cold.

A hand brushed his cheek, the cold, rough thumb pad sweeping over his cheekbone. “If I didn’t imagine it, then I’m accepting the invitation.”

Nursey gently pulled his head around until he could fit their lips together. It’s wasn’t much, just a soft press of chapped lips. And it ended far too quickly for Dex’s preference. But Nursey was shivering and Dex realized that he hadn’t bundled up enough to be outside this long.

Dex grabbed his hands and dragged him back into the warmth of the party.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spacecat211 asked:
> 
> If you're still doing the winter prompts, 1 & 13?
> 
> 1: “Come out in the snow with me!”  
> 13: “There’s no way I’m going out in that weather!”

It took Dex several trips to get all the supplies he needed outside, but he didn’t want to forget anything. He was pretty sure he was on his last trip, taking the actual food out, when Nursey’s whine made him pause. 

“Dexy, just stay in here with us. You shouldn’t be so far away.” His lower lip was jutted out in an exaggerated pout and Dex rolled his eyes in response.

“Come out in the snow with me!” He gestured to the door.

“There’s no way I’m going out in that weather!” Nursey pulled back in shock. “Dexy, it dropped four feet of snow. There’s no power, no gas, just stay in here where it’s still kind of warm and we can cuddle for more warmth.”

Dex leveled him with an unimpressed look. “I can hear your stomach growling from here, Nurse. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”

Once he was outside the back door, he shuffled over to the grill, careful not to fall and bust the eggs. He pulled open the lid and checked the coals, but they looked ready to go so he adjusted Bitty’s cast iron skillet and set about frying some bacon and sausage, followed by a quick scramble of eggs. Toasting the bread was a little more difficult, and honestly it all would have gone better if he’d had an assistant to take thing back in once they were cooked, but well. 

At least the team wouldn’t starve. 

He walked the food in carefully and served it to the delight of his friends. He couldn’t help but smile as they all dug in, clearly happy to be fed. Honestly, Dex wasn’t sure if they would have figured out something to eat until the snow cleared or power and gas was restored. He shook his head again as Nursey started scrapping eggs onto a slice of toast and then he turned to go back for Bitty’s skillets. 

When he was finally back in, and divested of the outermost layers, Nursey handed him a plate of food. “Saved this back from the hungry hoards for our daring provider.” 

Dex smiled and then gasped a little as Nursey pulled him down onto the couch, wrapping around him from behind along with mass of blankets. 

“You’re freezing, Dexy. You better not loose any bits to frostbite.”

Dex turned to look at him from the corner of his eye. “You gonna stop loving me if I lose a toe?”

“No, but it could make hockey rather more difficult, and I already have to carry our line.”

“You carry our line? You?” Dex couldn’t stand for this blasphemy. He set his plate on the coffee table, he’d already inhaled most of the food anyway, and stood up. He turned to Nursey with a raised brow and then swept him into his arms before carrying him to bed. 

Sharing body heat was best done skin to skin.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zip/tell/enamor me with whiskeytango?
> 
> Leave a “Enamor Me” in my ask, and I will write a fluffy drabble characters trying to woo one another [be it out of the blue/Valentines Day, feel free to specify.]  
> Leave a “Tell Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character confessing something to another [be it a love confession, a secret, feel free to specify.]  
> Leave an “Zip Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character dressing another, or the other way around [this can also be used for shutting them up as well, but feel free to specify.]

It was odd, for Tony to be quiet. Unnatural. 

Not that Tony never shut up. He did know that there were times when it was inappropriate to talk. He never spoke out of turn during Mass, even if the homily stretched on forever. He was quiet during lectures. He listened intently when Coach Hall was discussing plays and strategy. He even listened with rapt attention when Dex explained how he was fixing the various broken appliances in the Haus.

This was different. There was no reason for Tony to be quiet when it was just Connor. And Connor was cursing himself for every time he’d ever wished that Tony would just shut up. 

Tony had taken a bad hit a while back and ended up with a sprained wrist. They’d thought it was healed, but something must've pulled during practice the day before because he’d suddenly yelled with pain. The trainers had him on full RICE mode, just in time for Hausgiving.

Connor hadn’t really even thought anything of it, until he’d gotten a call from Tony, subdued in a way that he’d never heard before, asking for help because it was his dominant hand and he couldn’t even get dressed to go to the Haus.

Connor had found him, pants on but open, dress shirt on one arm only, sitting on his bed and staring at his feet. He’d looked up when Connor came in, but then back at his feet. 

“Hey, Tony. Let’s get you dressed and then we can go see what Bitty and Dex made, huh?” He carefully took the shirt and pulled it around to help Tony ease his arm through the other sleeve. “Dex will probably give you extra helpings and answer any questions you have about his new bungalow.”

Tony just shrugged. Didn’t look up, didn’t so much as mumble a response. Connor wasn’t sure why it made him so sad for Tony to be quiet like this. Maybe because it was clear that something was bothering him other than his wrist. 

Connor sighed and brushed it off. Tony would tell him when he was ready. In the meantime, he needed to focus on getting them ready and to the Haus. He buttoned the sleeves of Tony’s shirt, and then helped button it all the way down, except for the last one. He knew Tony liked to leave that button undone so it tucked better. He wanted to take his time, slowly pushing each button through it’s hole and savoring the proximity, but this wasn’t the time and Tony’s space wasn’t his to savor. So he settled for methodical.

“Ok, stand up for me, Tones. Get you tucked in and done up.” This he did take his time on, making sure the shirt tails were laying flat. Tony hated it when they wrinkled and bunched. He said it felt bad. It wasn’t how Connor expected to first run his hands over Tony’s ass and thighs, but it probably actually beat a drunken make out. 

Too soon, Tony’s pants were buttoned and zipped, and Tony stepped into his nice shoes. Connor looked around a bit desperately, wanting to prolong their time alone for just a bit more, and he landed on the ties that Tony wore to Mass and on game days. He grabbed his favorite one, a purple tie with a panda scene, and pulled it around Tony’s neck before the other boy could say he wasn’t planning on wearing a tie. 

“Ok, almost done. Then we can go see who worries over you the most, yeah?” Connor tried to smile, but could only manage about half of one. 

They were standing close together as he carefully tried to invert the motions for tying a Windsor knot, he knew that Tony appreciated the symmetry even if it was a bit more difficult. Once he’d completed it and had no more excuses to delay leaving, he looked up and found Tony staring at him with emotions flitting across his face.

“I’m sorry I had to ask for your help.”

Connor relaxed and smoothed Tony’s tie again. “Don’t be sorry. I’m always glad to help you.”

“But I don’t want you to hate me.” Tony was frowning and Connor had to swallow and take a small step back to keep from kissing the frown off his face.

“I could never hate you, Tones.”

“But Nursey got hurt and asked Dex for stuff and then Dex moved out of the room and into the basement. And we don’t even share a room yet. And I’m already asking you for help and you’ll never want to share a room with me or date me or anything if I’m helpless.”

Connor blinked three times while he tried to process what he’d just heard, then stepped forward and kissed Tony like he’d just denied himself.

When he finally pulled away, he gently caressed Tony’s cheek and jaw. “I will never hate you, Tony. Just because Nursey and Dex haven’t figured out how to say what they want from each other and instead poke until they hurt each other. That doesn’t have to be how we are. We are Connor and Tony. Tango and Whiskey.” Connor stopped and took a few breaths. 

He wasn’t good with words. Most of the time, they seemed unnecessary. But words were important to Tony, so he needed to get it right. “Asking for necessary help didn’t push Dex away from Nursey. And it won’t push me away from you. And I definitely don’t want anyone else helping you get dressed, or undressed. So if you need help with that later, you know who to call.” 

He nodded and stepped back. He’d gone too far. It was too much. He turned away to try to keep the flush from darkening his cheeks. He stopped as his hand was grabbed by Tony, who laced their fingers together. 

“Yeah. I know who to call.” Tony’s face was split by a grin and Connor couldn’t help smiling back.

“Let’s go get some food before it’s all gone.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> draskireis asked:
> 
> Hrm. Ask/haunt/value. The usual pair of idiots. Magic AU? Not literal haunting, more the watch-over-from-a-safe-distance?
> 
> Anonymous asked:
> 
> "Get me" or "haunt me" please, any characters!
> 
>  
> 
> [From this list](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/181357538555/drabbles-send-me-characters-and-a-prompt)
> 
>  
> 
> Leave a “Get Me” in my ask, and I will write a drabble about one character saving another.  
> Leave a “Haunt Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character watching over another [as a ghost, watching from a distance, or otherwise, feel free to specify.]  
> Leave a “Value Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character telling another how they feel about them.

Dex had been scrying with sea water all his life. Or close enough that it didn’t matter. When he came to Samwell, he’d brought a jug of water that he’d collected himself and he refilled it whenever he went home. It was fine for checking up on his family, making sure they were safe.

The problem was when he started to realize that he needed to keep an eye on his defensive partner as well. He’d never met someone so adept at hurting himself in a myriad of minor ways. He’d never felt more frustrated that his powers were linked to water and the ocean. 

He could save Nursey from drowning with barely a thought, but what good were farsight and the ability to move water when they were miles inland? For the first time, he wished that he had control over air or telekinesis. Something that would allow him to cushion Nursey’s falls and direct him around dangers. 

Instead he was stuck with watching through a bowl of water and making minor adjustments to make daily life a bit easier for Nursey. If the humidity was bothering Nursey’s hair, Dex dried that bit of air out a tad. If Nursey complained about his skin feeling dry, Dex was a humidifier just for Nursey’s skin. It only took a few months before Dex figured out Nursey’s preferred humidity range. Keeping it there when he was with Nursey was no problem, but it took a bit more work to get the adjustment to follow Nursey even when Dex wasn’t with him.

By the spring of their sophomore year, Dex was scrying Nursey near constantly when they weren’t together or in class. He gave him privacy of course. If he realized that Nursey was in the bathroom, or indisposed in some way, or if he had someone over, Dex scattered the water immediately. He wasn’t a voyeur. He just wanted to watch over Nursey. 

So, sometimes, he’d just pull out his big scrying bowl and watch Nursey through farsight while he did his homework. It was never anything interesting really. Nursey was usually working on his own homework, reading and highlighting passages, taking notes, typing at his laptop. The most interesting thing Dex learned from this was how frequently Nursey went off diet plan by ordering in. 

When there was a knock on Nursey’s door on a Thursday evening, Dex assumed it was another delivery. When Nursey let a guy in and they started kissing, Dex threw the water in the bowl onto the floor. It wasn’t the first time Nursey had had a guy over, so it’s not like Dex was shocked that his friend and line partner wasn’t straight. He just really didn’t want to see Nursey kissing anyone. 

Unfortunately, that was the last of his sea water. He didn’t realize it until he was nearly ready to go to bed, already in his sleep pants and a tank, and felt the need for one quick check in on Nursey. If he didn’t make sure Nursey was ok before he went to bed, he tended to have awful nightmares, and he had a test the next day that he really needed to be rested for.

Tap water wouldn’t work, he’d tried that once in middle school when he was too lazy to go down to the shore. Which left only one real option on the Samwell campus. 

Dex didn’t mean to scry by moonlight in the Pond itself. He’d just been kneeling down to fill the jug and thought of Nursey and the magic came so easily now that it just sort of happened. When he saw Nursey laid out on the ground of his dorm, unmoving, the magic welled up again without thought. 

His ma had always warned him against scrying by moonlight. 

“The moon pulls the tides, it will pull a person too.”

He hadn’t ever considered the meaning of those words until Nursey splashed into the water at his feet. 

If he’d thought about it at all, he’d have thought that it would send him to Nursey. That’s certainly what he’d been feeling at the time, the need to go to Nursey and make sure he was ok. But on reflection, his ma had said “pull” so it made sense that the magic pulled Nursey to him. 

Dex shook his head and forced himself to stop contemplating the intricacies of magic and pay attention to the situation in front of him. Which was a spluttering, flailing, apparently unhurt Nursey shivering and coughing up Pond water. Dex moved his hands easily to help pull the water from Nursey’s throat. He hadn’t breathed any in, luckily, though Dex could have helped with that as well. 

Instead, he grabbed onto Nursey’s arms, and helped him onto the shore, trying to subtly use his magic to pull the water out of Nursey’s clothes and off his skin. 

“What the fuck just happened? Poindexter?” Nursey looked at him blearily, clearly confused at his sudden swim. His teeth were still chattering.

Dex sighed. What was the point of hiding his magic from Nursey when he’d just pulled him across campus with it? He gave up the pretense of a slow drying and made a sweeping gesture to pull all the Pond water way from Nursey and back into the Pond. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I guess that’s why my ma warned against scrying in moonlight.”

Nursey blinked at him and shivered again. Dex pulled off his flannel and handed it to Nursey, who put it on without a word. 

“We should go. It’s still too cold to be out here without proper jackets.”

“I don’t have my ID or my keys. I was in my room.”

Dex glanced at Nursey again. “Right. Of course. Sorry. I was just worried because you were on the ground and you weren’t moving. You fall a lot. Maybe you’d hit your head.”

“I dropped my pen. The dip pen…” He trailed off, but Dex knew which pen he meant. He’d given it to Nursey for his birthday a few weeks before. “I like to use it for poetry, but I dropped it and it rolled under my bed. So I got down to get it.”

“You weren’t moving, Nurse.”

“Well, I had a lot of emotions and once I was down there, laying on the floor seemed like the thing to do for a bit.” Nursey stopped walking suddenly. It took Dex a few steps to realize and turn around to check on him. Nursey was staring at him with narrowed eyes. “How do you know I was on the floor? What did you mean by scrying? Were you spying on me?”

Dex felt his face heat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not, really? I just, look in on you sometimes to see if you’re ok. You’re a walking disaster area, after all.” 

“How often do you do this?”

“Not, not often.” Dex scratched behind his ear and focused on a flowerbed just off the path. It looked like they’d planted some pansies recently but he couldn’t tell what colors in the dim light. 

“How often, Dex?”

“A couple times a day, usually. Like, when I’m working on homework maybe, or before I go to bed. To make sure you’re ok.”

“Wait, do you _worry_ about me?” Nursey’s tone took on an undercurrent of glee and Dex braced himself for the incoming chirps.

“Wait, did you spy on me earlier, or was this the first time tonight?” Nursey’s eyes widened with the thought.

“I scried you earlier. When the guy came over, I scattered the water. That’s actually why I’m out here in the cold and accidentally scried you in the moonlight. I don’t fucking watch you hook up or whatever. Don’t worry. Just because I care about my line partner doesn’t mean I’m a pervert or whatever.” Dex turned and started marching back to the dorms again. 

Nursey hurried to catch up, but stayed quiet the rest of the way until they were back in Dex’s dorm. 

“Can I borrow something to sleep in? These clothes are dry, but they still smell like Pond.”

“Huh? Yeah. Of course.” Dex pulled out a clean shirt and pair of sweatpants and handed them over. He dug around in his closet until he found the travel pillow and blanket that he used on roadies and then plopped onto the floor and tried to get comfortable.

“What are you doing?”

“Going to sleep.” Dex made it a point of pulling the blanket over his shoulder and closing his eyes.

“Get off the floor. We can share the bed.”

“I’m not going to share a bed with you, Nurse. The floor is fine for me and you won’t have to worry about what to say to whatever his name is.”

“See, that’s the thing. I, uh, don’t know his name either. I’m certainly not going to worry about what a Gindr hookup would think about me sharing a bed with my line partner. And I really don’t think he’d care anyway since I kicked him out after about five minutes when I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about my line partner.”

Dex turned and looked at Nursey. 

“So, unless I’ve completely misread what would possess a person to check in on me every day just to make sure I’m ok, please get in the bed. If I have misread it, I’ll go to the Haus and crash on the couch or something for the night. But I know you have an exam and I’m not going to make you sleep on the floor of your own dorm.” Nursey was staring at him, but he seemed sincere, no hint of a chirp in his expression.

Dex sighed and got off the floor and into the bed, not complaining when Nursey curled around him. He’d always figured that he’d be the big spoon, but this felt nice too.

Once the lights were off and everything was quiet, he relaxed a bit into the warmth of Nursey’s chest. “I think I like you. More than just line partners and friends. Rather, in addition to. I think maybe I love you.”

“Yeah, Dexy. That’s what I suspected.” Nursey nuzzled closer, his nose rubbing just behind Dex’s ear. “I love you, too.”

Dex smiled and closed his eyes.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:
> 
> stargaze with me and any of the boys honestly
> 
> You get some DexaBull. I hope you like it. 
> 
> Ojibwe!Bully, I am not Ojibwe. I tried to research this based on what would be told to outsiders and is available to outsiders, but if I’ve miss stepped, please let me know.

Dex slid the window to the reading room up and stuck his head out. It didn’t smell like weed, and it looked like only Bully was out there. Which was a little odd, since he didn’t live at the Haus, but it’s not like the reading room was only for residents, and Dex knew how hard it could be to find some space alone.

“Hey, uh, do you mind company?” Dex really wanted to sit outside for a bit, but if Bully was trying to get away from everyone, then he didn’t want to intrude.

Once Bully indicated that he didn’t mind, Dex climbed out fully and then shut the window. He was glad that it was Bully out there. Bully was quiet and calm. Bully was one of the few that didn’t consider the reading room to be solely for drinking and smoking. Not that Dex was against drinking and smoking if that’s what his teammates wanted to do. It was just the smell of weed was nauseating to him and drinking on a roof seemed like a really really bad idea.

Once he was settled he leaned back and rested his head on the side of the Haus, looking up at the stars, subconsciously mirroring Bully’s pose.

He wanted to say something, they were friendly, the’d hung out before. But Bully was…undeniably attractive. A lot of their team were, actually. But beyond looks, Bully was calm and Dex could be calm around him. Plus he liked the same nerdy shit that Dex did.

“I like to look at the stars when I’m homesick, or just feeling lost. In the summers I work on my uncle’s boat and he has this weird idea that anyone who works on a boat should know how to navigate by the stars just in case all technology abandons us or something. It still doesn’t make sense to me, lobsters aren’t that far out from shore. But, now I’ve got all these star charts memorized and looking at the stars makes me feel grounded in a way. Like, it’s okay, I know I can find a way because of the stars.” 

Dex closed his eyes briefly. This was the problem. Either he clammed up and didn’t say anything around his crushes, or he just started rambling. Way to go, Poindexter, you’ve just said a bunch of stupid shit that no one cares about.

“Mishibizhiw is overhead now, so shinny season is over. It’s time to move to the sugar bush camp.” 

Dex opened his eyes at Bully’s voice and then looked where Bully was pointing. He seemed to be indicating Leo. “Mishibizhiw?”

Bully nodded. “Curly Tail. The Great Lynx. A water spirit. He tells when the lakes aren’t frozen and safe to walk on. The stars have a lot of ways to guide people.”

Dex repeated the name softly to himself. Of course, it made sense that other groups of people had different constellations (the Greeks and Romans couldn’t be the only ones to see pictures in the stars), he just hadn’t considered what they might be. 

“I know I don’t graduate for another year, but my dibs are yours if you want them. I mean, there’s no dibs back, so you should wait and see if you get a better offer. But, yeah. Yours if you want it.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Huh. I heard you fixed like the whole Haus for your dibs and it still came down to a coin toss.”

Dex grimaced and shifted uneasily. “Yeah well, apparently Johnson gave Bitty dibs because it would be good for the narrative arc, so I think we can agree that the concept of earning dibs is inconsistently applied at best.”

They didn’t shake on it, because that would have made it official and meant Bully couldn’t take any better offers he might get. And no matter what Bully seemed to think, he definitely deserved dibs. Dex was sure he’d get a few other dibs offers. He wasn’t sure who he’d offer his dibs to if that happened. Well, there was always the team lottery. That seemed fair anyway.

His brain stuttered to a stop as Bully gently laid his hand on top of Dex’s. Dex forced himself to take three deep breaths, and then turned his hand so that their fingers interlaced. 

“Do you want to hear more about the stars?”

“I’d, uh, I’d love that. And maybe later, if you want, I can show you what I’ve done with the basement. So you can make an informed decision about any other dibs offers you get.”

“That sounds like a smart plan.” 

When Dex looked at Bully from the corner of his eyes, Bully was smiling softly. 

“Over there is Ojiig….” 

Dex focused on the stars, listening to Bully and mapping out the new shapes over the constellations he memorized years before. It was a good night.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on [This post](http://kateywumpus.tumblr.com/post/181718308731/because-i-like-you)

“Oh my god. Nurse. Shut up. Just stop talking before I… punch you in the mouth.” Dex clenched and unclenched his hands. He wanted to pull his hair out. He wanted to scream. He wanted to do something to let out everything boiling up inside and he couldn’t. He couldn’t do any of that and Nursey was just applying pressure and making everything worse.

Nursey scoffed. “You know what, if you want to hit me so badly, do it.”

Dex looked up sharply. “What the fuck are you on about?”

“You want to so bad, just do it. Do your worst.” He was shaking his head. “You must have been dreaming about this moment, so, here I am. I won’t try to stop you. Live your dreams, Poindexter!”

Dex stared at Nursey as he stood, arms outstretched and eyes closed. Finally, he lurched forward, grabbing the front of Nursey’s shirt with one hand and holding him in place as he brought their lips together. 

It was slow, tentative even, at first. But Nursey made a surprised sound and then seemed to relax into it, his hands dropping lightly to the sides of Dex’s hips. Dex allowed himself to become more searching, moving his lips, brushing just a hint of tongue over Nursey’s lips. 

Nursey opened to him, allowing him to pour all the emotions that had been boiling up into the kiss, into his grasping and seeking hands, into the feeling of Nursey’s hands wrapping around and clutching him just as tight. 

Finally, they broke apart, sliding cheek against cheek until they were each gasping slightly in the other’s ear while still clutching just as tightly. 

“I thought you were gonna punch me, Dexy.”

Dex let out one huff of a laugh. “You told me to do what I’d been dreaming of. So I punched you in the mouth, with my mouth, softly. Cause I like you.”

“Better outcome for me. I like you too.”

“Good. Because I think I want to punch you again.”

“You better.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This wasn’t meant to be a date, but we’ve had such a good time and now it’s 2 a.m. and I should really go home…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 13 + nurseydex pls and thank 💕  
> [From this prompt list](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/182639676455/right-to-the-good-parts-prompt-list)

Dex laughed and it was a real, pure thing, and Nursey never wanted to stop hearing it. Which was stupid because they weren’t like that and this wasn’t a date. They were just hanging out after both their dates ditched them and the rest of the team had wandered back to the Haus.

Dex bumped into his shoulder and he realized that he’d missed something or let the silence drag too long. 

“We should probably head back to the Haus. They probably think that I’ve killed you and am hiding the body.” Dex didn’t make any move to leave though, so Nursey just hummed in response.

Dex shrugged his shoulders up. “Thanks for staying with me though. I know you coulda been wheeling your date or drinking with the rest. So, thanks.”

Nursey forced himself to laugh. Dex getting sentimental was too much to take sober. He threw an arm around Dex’s neck and squeezed. “No worries, Dexy. Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

He wasn’t sure if it was just because Dex went with it when he pulled him, instead of resisting like usual, or if something in his voice gave him away, but Dex was suddenly warm under his arm and pressed against his side. And Dex’s face was close, so close that he could lean forward and kiss him. Nursey blinked, forcing himself to focus and meet Dex’s eyes, only to see them dart down to his own lips.

Dex’s mouth was gentle, soft, when it pressed to his. Nursey had thought it would be rough and bruising, or maybe hungry and seeking. But instead, his lips were tender, tentative. His fingers ghosting along Nursey’s jaw. So, he sighed and leaned into it, his arm still braced behind Dex’s head.

When Dex finally pulled away, leaning their foreheads together, his hand was gripping the front of Nursey’s jacket. “Nowhere you’d rather be, huh?”

“Well, now I can think of one or two places.”

Dex’s eyes opened, hurt, and he started to pull away. Nursey pulled him back and pressed another kiss, fuller and slightly hungry, to Dex’s pout.

“I should really get you home.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We’re hiding from the authorities and it’s very close quarters in here, I can feel your body against mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #9 with poly dmen or.... uh shit. #7? Whatever, the "I've never seen anyone handle that like you did" one for tango/dex or dex/chowder/farmer

Dex shifted slightly, trying to get his arm out from where it was pressed between his and Ransom’s chests. 

“Poindexter, stop moving. Now.” Nursey’s voice was a low growl in his ear. It should not be hot, all things considered. 

Letting himself be talked into skinny dipping in the hotel pool by Ransom and Holster was one of the worst decisions he’d made in his life. But he was pretty sure the top spot went to hiding in a tiny supply shed with three other d-men when they’d nearly been spotted by a security patrol. 

He was just grateful that they’d been clothed at the time. If he’d been sandwiched between Ransom and Nursey, and staring Holster in the eye over Ransom’s shoulder, without the benefit of clothing. Well, spontaneous human combustion may not have ever been observed occurring before, but he was pretty sure it would have happened then. As it was, it was taking all his effort not to think about the warm bodies pressed around him. 

He finally managed to get his arm unbent from the weird angle and the ache subsided. He decided a moment later that he should have left it because it was infinitely more difficult not to think about his fellow d-men pressed against him now that that distraction was gone. 

“It could be worse. We could have already been swimming.” Holster’s whisper was loud in the still night and both Ransom and Nursey hushed him.

Dex shifted again and tried his best not to think about it. Again. Nursey hissed in his ear and he froze. Slowly, Dex let himself pay attention to the bodies pressed against him instead of fighting to distract himself. It seemed like his brain wasn’t the only one diving into the deep end.

He dragged his hand up along Ransom’s side, slowly bumping over obliques and ribs, watching his dark eyes glint in the low light. When Ransom’s lips parted in a low moan, Dex dipped in to swallow the sound. 

Nursey’s and Holster’s twin groans threatened to alert the patrol. Dex rolled his eyes without opening them. Nursey’s hand slid up his abs and Dex had to swallow his own groan. 

“Can we get out of this damn closet and back to one of the rooms yet?” The words tumbled out of Ransom’s mouth against his lips and they all stilled, breathing heavy while craning their necks to check if the guard was gone.

Letting himself be talked into skinny dipping in the hotel pool by Ransom and Holster was one of the best decisions Dex’d made in his life.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’ve never seen anything like the way you handled that. I’m just so moved.

“That was beautiful. You are amazing.” Dex cradled Cait’s face in his hands and pressed kisses to her eyelids.

She batted his hands away, smiling. “Stop it. It was nothing.” 

Chowder plopped down next to Cait on the couch and leaned into her arm. “What? What did she do?”

“Nothing. Dex is just being dramatic.” Cait rolled her eyes as Dex slid down onto the couch.

He reached an arm around her shoulders, cuddling her in close and allowing him to run his fingers through the hair on the back of Chowder’s head. “Since when have I been one for dramatics?”

“Since you found out I made kettle corn from scratch, apparently.” Cait leaned forward and grabbed the bowl of popcorn she’d just mentioned and Dex smiled as Chowder’s eyes widened. 

“I told you. She’s amazing.”

“I knew it, but it’s still always a surprise.” 

They both leaned into her and pressed kisses to her cheeks.

“Stop it.” She could barely get the words out without laughing. “Come on, guys. We’re supposed to be watching a movie.”


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my God, I thought you were going to die. Please don’t ever scare me like that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes hi hello i'm going to need #8 as nurseydex because i love your nurseydex and if anything is going to break through those idiots' thick skulls it's a near death experience

Nursey couldn’t breathe. Partly because he’d just fallen down the stairs to the basement and landed hard on his back. Mostly because there was two hundred pounds of ginger d-man squeezing him. 

“Dex.” His voice was wheezy and he tried to suck in enough air to clear his throat and try again. “Dex. Can’t breathe.”

He was no longer being squished. It was less of an improvement than he expected. He definitely did not reach out or moan from the loss. The moan was because he was in pain from falling. It was also definitely not because Dex’s hands were now roaming his body, gently but firmly pressing and assessing. 

“Where does it hurt? I don’t see any blood. Maybe a punctured lung. Don’t move, your neck might be injured.” Dex started slowly feeling along Nursey’s ribs. “I’m going to call the paramedics, but you need to tell me where it hurts so they have all the information.”

“Dex, stop. I’m fine.” Nursey grabbed Dex’s probing hand. “I’m just winded from the fall. I’m fine.”

Dex blinked at him. “What the hell were you doing, Nurse? You could have died!”

Nursey smiled. “There’s my favorite grump.” 

Dex’s eyes were still wide and wild and he clutched the hand still holding his. “You could have died, Nurse. You could have died. I thought….” Dex stopped talking and took large, heaving breaths.

“Hey. I’m ok. Come here.” Nursey pulled Dex back down against him. “I’m ok. Since when do you get that worried about me, Poindexter?”

“Always.” The word was muffled because Dex had pressed his face into Nursey’s chest, but he still heard it. Nursey blinked a few times and thought back over their friendship. Every time he’d been injured, there had been Poindexter’s grumpy, worried face. Huh.

“Dexy. Maybe we could cuddle on your bed instead of the concrete?”

“Ok.”


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my God, I thought you were going to die. Please don’t ever scare me like that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sailorsav asked:
> 
> Number 8 for my polyfarms heart if you'd like

“Get Cait.” Dex nudged Farmer into Chowder and Nursey’s waiting arms and sat heavily on the couch next to their impromptu pallet by the radiator. “Check her. It’s too cold out there.”

He worked his jaw, trying to get feeling in his cheeks and grappled with the laces on his boots.

“I’m sorry, Cait. I should have gone over to get you earlier. Are you ok? Can you feel your fingers and toes?” Talking was helping, kept him moving. He was vaguely aware of Chowder and Nursey fussing over Farmer nearby. He just couldn’t seem to make his fingers do what he told them to. He furrowed his brow and focused on grasping the lace of his boot.

“Get off me, guys. I’m fine. Help Dex.”

“Cait? Why do you have two pairs of gloves on?”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. This idiot gave me half his cold weather gear.”

Warm hands took Dex’s and he looked up. “She was freezing. It’s too cold out there for her.”

Still, he didn’t resist as he was helped out of his outer clothes and bundled into the pile of blankets on their pallet. Long minutes of reassuring himself that Farmer was ok, and allowing the others to check him, to rub feeling back into his wind seared skin, slowly gave way to hours of cuddles.

Dex pressed a kiss against Cait’s hair and she nuzzled into his shoulder. “Don’t scare me like that. Please.”

“You’re the idiot that nearly froze.” Her words were sleep heavy and slow.

The feeling returning to his toes was still painful, but he had his boyfriends and his girlfriend all safe. He had all he’d ever wanted. He smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let it be known, Dex is concerned because Farmer is from California. He’d have the same concern for Chowder. And probably the same concern for Nursey because Nursey is Nursey and New Yorkers can’t be counted on to be sensible like he definitely is in this story. shh. He’s from Maine, he’s tough. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We’re hiding from the authorities and it’s very close quarters in here, I can feel your body against mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sailorsav asked:
> 
> 9 for ChowDex???

Dex was heavy. Chowder had known that, of course. He was used to the space Dex took up on the couch, the field of vision he blocked on the ice. Metaphorically speaking, he was aware of the volume of Dex’s concern. Chowder knew how to account for Dex. 

Chowder did not know how to deal with the fact that Dex was pressed on top of him, so close their cheeks were brushing and he couldn’t even see his friend. Chowder did not know how to deal with the fact that he could feel the soft hitch in every breath Dex took. Chowder did not know how to deal with Dex’s breath ghosting over his ear. 

Because Chowder did not allow himself to think about his friends in situations where they would be this close.

That was a lie. Chowder thought about it. He just didn’t know what to do about it now. Because this was definitely _not_ the situation that he had thought about. 

And if he didn’t stop thinking about _those_ situations, this situation was going to get super awkward, super quick. 

The steps outside the room finally moved away, fading down the hall and Dex relaxed, melting over Chowder even more. 

“Um, Dex?”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry Chowder.” 

Dex lifted himself up, bracing with his forearms and looked down at Chowder and.

Honestly, he didn’t mean to. But what was he supposed to do in a position like that? Dex’s muscular arms framing his head, Dex’s weight pressed against him, Dex’s lips slightly parted as he took a few deep breaths. 

His hands just gripped Dex’s hips of their own accord and pulled. His eyes fell closed and Dex could have brushed it off. Stood up, checked if they were clear, pretended it was just a muscle spasm from the tension.

But Dex leaned down and kissed him. And Chowder happily kissed him back.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by [this post](https://frecklesanddamane.tumblr.com/post/182944858880/damespock-im-so-glad-earth-only-has-one-moon-if)

Nursey and Dex moongazing (it’s a lunar eclipse or something, shut up)

Nursey: “I’m so glad the Earth only has one moon. If it had more, I’d have to choose a favorite and that sounds exhausting. Can you imagine? If we had as many moons as Jupiter or Saturn?”

Dex *staring at him in the darkness instead of the sky*: I imagine it’d be like picking a favorite person. You just go with your heart.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: No clue if you take like, req or prompts, but uh if ya do,,, may I politely request a few hero/anti-hero au hc for the frogs?

Nursey is like Tony Stark or Batman.   
He doesn’t make his own gear, but he pays people to make really high tech stuff for him.   
He is not Oliver Queen because please do not give this boy a bow and arrows.   
Maybe John Diggle with Oliver Queen’s money.  
But yeah, he decides that he has an obligation to use his money to help people, and for some reason that means vigilante justice instead of setting up charities or something.   
Maybe he does both  
Dex is Low Budget Man  
He actually has super powers of some sort. - not fire related  
He feels obligated to use them to help  
He is so tired, all the time, because he has a day job too  
Also, he can’t afford a fancy super suit, so I really hope improved healing or immunity to physical damage is part of his powers  
He probably can heal other people, or if he can’t, he’s super pissed about it because keeping his friends from getting hurt is his main goal in life  
Dex is dating Chowder.  
Who is also dating Farmer, it’s all cool.  
Farmer is not a super hero.  
She’s got shit to do that doesn’t involve putting on a costume and running around all night.  
She’s probably an advocate for abuse victims or something.  
When people say “not all heroes wear capes” they specifically mean Cait.  
Chowder has powers, probably protective powers.  
He can make shields and reinforce things.   
He can also like, catch anything - bullets, fire, anything - and redirect back at the bad guy or into the ground or whatever to keep it from hurting people  
Dex and Chowder run into Nursey while patrolling at some point.  
they work together to bring down some villain, probably a lax bro  
Nursey decides to invite them to be on a team with him, he’ll provide super suits and the base  
They are hesitant, but they could use the upgrade. Chowder’s suit is better than Dex’s, but it’s not Nursey’s best-money-can-buy level.  
They all start working together, but still with code names only. secret identities are super secret.  
Dex is thrilled with all the computers and tech that Nursey has available.   
Chowder reinforces the base and all the suits with his powers.  
There are times when Dex and Chowder could look under Nursey’s mask, but they don’t. Does he look under theirs if the chance comes up? maybe, but it doesn’t matter, other than him going “holy hell, he is very attractive.”  
Nursey’s the only one who’s secret identity would be instantly recognized.  
Eventually he tells them who he is.   
They are already in love with him as his super hero identity.  
Or at least Dex is.   
So this ends with either a full on smush PolyFarms, or Nursey is dating Dex who is dating Chowder who is dating Farmer.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: So I was on a plane a while ago and right after we boarded I heard the guy behind me calling someone and from what I gathered they were first meeting when we landed. He told the person that he'd "be the handsome guy with the grey sweater... and the swole sweatpants"
> 
> Ok, that’s like, not even difficult to fic. Just plop two characters in and you’ve got a fic going. But I just finished all my essays due this week (next week is next week’s problem), and I’m not going to leave it at that. Even though swole sweatpants just screams “Tater” to me, I’m gonna keep this Frogs because they’re my boys and AHTU updated and gave me all these warm cozy feels.

Ok, so. Dex is handsome, and he is pretty comfy in his looks when he’s not surrounded by people like Ransom and Nursey and Chowder. (Seriously, hockey players are not often this hot, did Samwell steal all the hot hockey players?) Anyway, he wouldn’t refer to himself as the handsome guy. Nope, that’s a Nursey thing to say. So guy on the plane behind you? That’s Nursey. He’s definitely the kind to wear a grey sweater and swole sweatpants on the plane.

Where is Nursey going? I love Nursey and NHL future fics are fun, but if I’m honest, I do not believe in my heart of hearts that that’s what he’s doing with his life. His family owns like several small countries. He’s just not playing professional sports. So what he’s doing is he’s flying to California to meet with Chowder and Dex. 

They have come up with an idea on how to get rid of the giant trash island or at least make it shrink instead of grow. Or maybe they’re working on something to help protect some marine life. There’s some wiggle room here. 

Chowder is the biology guy on the team, he’s making sure no animals are harmed in the making of this fic. 

Dex is the engineer. He makes whatever machine they make, he runs the digital prototypes that test if they think it will work. 

Caitlin is there because of course she is. I love her. She’s the business side. She keeps them on task. She reminds them that they can’t just do whatever they want. She is the one that gets the permits and finds the space for them to work. 

Nursey is the angel investor they are really really hoping is going to drop a few mill in their laps so that they can get this launched for real for real. Nursey has invested in some charitable things like this in the past, so has his family. Also, he wants to check out the area because he thinks it might be good inspo for a book he’s thinking about writing. He’s multitasking.

The problem, Dex is waiting at baggage claim because you can’t go to the gates anymore and he’s expecting someone like Nursey’s dad to show up. Instead he gets Nursey hotness. Dex is *pissed*, just annoyed as all get out. Why? Because he can’t be finding his potential angel investor hot. He’s asking this man for money for his project. Not asking him on a date. He doesn’t necessarily have anything against sugar babies, but he did not wake up this morning expecting to be wanting to ask for a date and money from the same man. And he really can’t wrap his brain around how doing both of those things wouldn’t make Nursey a sugar daddy even though they are only like 8 months apart in age.

So yeah, Dex is grumpy because the hottest guy he’s ever seen, the first guy he’s been like “ok, maybe I could put work on pause for thirty minutes for a lunch date” since they started this project, is the one guy that he can’t hit on. 

Except Nursey has Noooo problems hitting on Dex, Chowder, and Caitlin, often at the same time. So Dex just thinks this is how he is, a serial flirt who never means it. Plot twist, Nursey *does* mean it, he’s just trying to cover up for the fact that he keeps trying to wheel this potential business partner by acting like he’s a flirtatious guy with everyone (and it doesn’t hurt that Chowder and Cait are also super hot and flirt worthy). 

When they have actual success with the whatever Chowder and Dex were building, they are so excited and happy that Dex plants a big ol’ kiss on Nursey and Nursey is like “oh yes, please.” and then they have to be like “sneaky sneaky, get some place alone.”


	43. Chapter 43

Dex: *fixes something around the Haus* 

Nursey: damn my competency kink 

Dex: *sings something to himself but others can hear* 

Nursey: damn my music kink 

Dex: *grumps at Nursey to take care of himself* 

Nursey: damn my worry kink 

Chowder: did you ever consider maybe you have a Dex kink? 

Nursey: these words, I do not know what they mean?


	44. Chapter 44

I 100% believe that when Dex finally sings for Nursey he will sing “I’m Yours” (Jason Mraz) And not because he’s a basic white boy and it’s a basic white boy song.

He picks it for one reason and one reason only.

 

So he can sing the line “I tried to be chill but you’re so hot that I melted.”


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> draskireis asked: 31 for NurseyDex; 76 for WhiskeyTango?
> 
> 31\. “You haven’t lost me.”

Nursey’s feet skidded on the tile as he rounded the corner of the aisle. He wasn’t running. Running would get him kicked out. But, he was hunched over to blend in better and moving quickly. He’d been followed for the past five minutes, but so far, he’d evaded and hidden.

There was just no way to escape was the problem. What he needed was to lay low. Let the heat die off a bit.

The clothing section was a terrible idea, short racks and no aisles. He dashed across the isle into womenswear. Square shaped racks taunted him, jabbing him in the arms as he tried to hurry through, squeezing by a woman with a stroller. 

Finally, he saw it. Nirvanna. Heaven. The promised land. A circular rack with shorts on the bottom and shirts on top providing floor to shoulder coverage. The perfect place to sit and hide. 

He dove into the middle and panted softly to catch his breath. 

“You haven’t lost me.”

He looked up, right into the amber gold eyes of his pursuer. “Shit.”

“I can’t believe this was your master plan, Nurse. Hiding in the middle of a rack of clothes?”

“It worked when I was five.”

Dex snorted. “Come on. I caught you before you got to the checkouts. I get to pay.” 

Nursey crawled out of the rack of clothes, and then used Dex’s legs to pull himself back to standing. This had the dual benefit of giving him an excuse to grab Dex’s butt and having them end up pressed very close together. “Fine. But you still have to cuddle me during the movie.”

Dex rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Have I ever not cuddled you during the movie?”

“Chyeah. Frog year.”

“We weren’t dating!”

Nursey captured the last of Dex’s words with a kiss. “Chill, Poindexter. We’re in public. No yelling.”

“You have to be the little spoon.” Dex turned to walk away but stopped, turned back, and kissed Nursey again. Then he grabbed the basket of candy from Nursey’s hands and strode toward the front of the store.


	46. Chapter 46

Dex: “boyfriends” makes us sound like we’re twelve 

Nursey: Ok, my lover. 

Dex: no. 

Nursey: Too late. I shall only refer to you as my lover from now on. 

Dex: is that so? guess I’ll return the ring then… 

Nursey: RING? Gimme gimme gimme gimme. You can definitely upgrade from lover to hubby 

Dex: yeah, no. you are not calling me “hubby” either. 

Nursey: Love of my life and my sweet ginger flower? 

Dex: how do you say these things with a straight face? 

Nursey: you take that back. nothing about me is straight.


	47. Chapter 47

Nursey, annoyed by Dex’s stupid hot face: Oust, THOT! *tries to throw Dex*

Bitty: so, tell me again how Nursey injured his shoulder?

Dex: He tried to yeet me. 

Bitty: and his knee?

Dex: he fell out of bed.

Bitty: He sleeps on the top bunk still! I guess we’re lucky that it was just a bruise…

Dex: … I didn’t say it was his bed…


	48. Chapter 48

Nursey: you don’t have to do that just to make me feel better

Dex: Ok. I never do anything just to make people feel better. 

Narrator: that was a lie. In fact everything he ever does ever is to make people feel better.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pretty-meris asked: 81 or 87 nurseydex Pretty please😊  
> 81 “It’s cold, you should take my jacket.”  
> 87 “You’re so adorable.”

“It’s cold, you should take my jacket.”

Nursey couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, Poindexter. You’re so adorable. I’m from NYC. I don’t even feel the cold.”

Dex raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t argue. 

Nursey would enjoy that a lot more if he could be sure it was because he’d actually won and Dex believed him. But then, lately he hadn’t been sure about anything about Dex. Because this was the third day that Dex had shown up outside of his last class and then walked with him to the Haus. 

Which wouldn’t be weird except 1) Dex had a lab in the science buildings across campus and Nursey’s class in the history buildings was not on the way to the Haus from there and 2) Dex didn’t even use the opportunities to chirp him and, like this time, avoided arguments that Nursey set up for him, he was almost preternaturally nice and 3) when they got to the Haus, Dex always mumbled something and then disappeared to his room for the rest of the night.

And unfortunately, Dex was right. It was cold. Nursey tried to suppress a shiver with limited success. He kept pressing forward, hoping that his determined stride would keep Dex from noticing and also help warm him up. Then he felt warm fabric moving over his shoulders and slowed. If Dex was going to drape his jacket over Nursey one way or the other, then Nursey might as well put it on correctly and get warm. 

He snuck a glance at Dex from the corner of his eyes and saw him pop up the collar of his flannel to block the wind and then shove his hands in his jeans pockets. 

“Aren’t you going to be cold now?”

“I’m from Maine. We don’t feel the cold.”

Nursey snorted. “Chill. Thanks for the loan. But here. Give me your hand.”

Dex looked at him for a long moment before pulling his hand out of his pocket and reaching out. Nursey grabbed it and then pulled it into the pocket of the jacket with his own hand.

“At least one of your hands can be warm this way.” 

Dex’s cheeks and ears were pink, but that might have been from the cold. “Thanks, Nurse. It’s not that far though. You don’t have to.”

“Come on, Dex. Let’s get you home before you start getting frostbite.”

He didn’t have to turn to know that Dex was rolling his eyes. It wasn’t nearly cold enough for frostbite. Just cold enough to justify holding Dex’s hand. And scrunching down in the collar of Dex’s jacket because it smelled like him. 

They were across the river on Elm Street when Chowder caught up to them. 

“Oh my god! Dex! You finally asked!”

Dex made a series of strangled noises and turned a more vibrant shade of red. Based on the context clues, Dex was telling Chowder, “shut up, for the love of Jack Zimmermann’s ass, shut up.” More or less. Translating is more art than science.

Which didn’t explain what question Chowder was talking about, other than Nursey was sure Dex hadn’t asked. On account of the fact that Nursey hadn’t been asked anything and there was no one else around for Dex to have asked something.

“Were you going to ask me something, Poindexter? I’m all ears.” He watched Dex open and close his mouth a few times and tried to keep a curious but patient look on his face. A chirp jumped to the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. He was pretty sure if he chirped Dex now then he’d never know what he was going to ask.

“D’youwannagetdinnersometime?”

“Um. I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that.”

Dex sighed. “Do you want to get dinner sometime?”

Nursey blinked. That…was not what he’d expected. “Chill. Sure. Friday good for you?”

“Like a date. Not like, d-man bonding, or whatever.”

“You’re so adorable. I got that.” 

“Yeah?” Dex finally looked up at Nursey, tentatively.

“Yeah.” He squeezed Dex’s hand in the pocket and rocked sideways to bump their shoulders together.

“Yeah!”

Nursey grinned at Chowder’s cheer and Dex smiled back. 

It didn’t feel cold at all.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> merlinisnotover asked: 11 for nurseydex? “How could you ask me that?”  
> I also got an anonymous request:  
> 11 for nurseydex please? ❤️ 
> 
> Y’all know I love NurseyDex.

“Ugh. How many fights do we have to have before you slam me into a wall and kiss me already?”

“What?”

Dex’s quiet, incredulous, question made Nursey still. Shit. He’d actually voiced that thought out loud.

“How could you ask me that?” Dex’s jaw was tight and his eyes were doing something weird that Nursey couldn’t decipher.

He opened his mouth, trying to find a way to erase the damage he’d just done, but nothing came out.

Dex stood up, and Nursey noticed a slight tremble in his hands as he did, before he strode from the room. The front door of the Haus opened and closed shortly after and Nursey let his head fall back on the couch. 

He spent the rest of the day in his room, rereading Heartstopper and feeling sorry for himself. Two and half years and he hadn’t once explicitly voiced his attraction to his straight best friend. He’d almost made it to Nick and Charlie’s first kiss when there was a knock on his door.

“It’s open.” He wiped at his face in case there were any tears.

Another knock on the door.

Nursey groaned and set his book aside before pushing himself out of the bean bag chair and shuffling over to the door. 

“I said it’s op-” He cut himself off when he saw Dex standing in the hall.

“Can I come in?”

“Oh yeah. Chill.” Nursey stepped back and let Dex by. He paused with the door in his hand, wondering if he should leave it open or close it. Which would make Dex feel more comfortable?

He felt the warmth of Dex’s body behind him and Dex’s hand appeared over his shoulder as it slowly, firmly pushed the door shut. Dex didn’t move. 

He took a deep breath and turned to face his friend. “Look, I’m-”

The words died in his throat as Dex stepped into his space again until Nursey’s back was pressed to the door and they were breathing each other’s air. It didn’t occur to Nursey to be worried. Dex looked, odd. Confused and vulnerable, but not angry. 

“If you want me to pin you to the wall and kiss you until your knees give out, all you have to do is ask. But if you think I’m that guy. The kind of guy who would ever intentionally hurt you….” Dex trailed off with a slow shake of his head then pushed himself back away from Nursey, running his hand through his hair. 

“If you think I’m that guy, then…” Dex trailed off again, looking around the room randomly. “Then we should probably not be friends. You deserve friends you aren’t scared of. God, nobody deserves to think their friends would slam them into a wall.”

“Peh-.” Nursey stopped and swallowed, licking his lips. “Pin me to the wall and kiss me until my knees give out.”

Dex stopped and turned towards him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

In two large strides, Dex was back in front of him, pressing close with one hand on his hip and the other rubbing gently at his jaw. When Dex’s lips slid over his, they were firm but gentle, moving slowly. Somehow, it made the most perfect sense. How could he have ever imagined that Dex would kiss with anything but affection? Tender, grumpy affection.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: omg #40 for any pairing?? please i love you so much thanks!!  
> Bet you thought I forgot about this.
> 
> “I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you.”

Somehow, Nursey made it down the stairs and into the kitchen without falling. His jaw cracked in a wide yawn as he collapsed into a chair at the table and considered laying down on it and going back to sleep. Before he could make the decision and drop his head onto his arms, the space was filled with a plate, followed shortly by a mug of coffee. He managed to get the mug to his mouth and sip the sweet caffeinated bliss. Two creams, three sugars, just how he liked it. 

“Wow, Dex. You could be a short order cook!” 

Nursey finally moved his attention from the manna from heaven in his mug to the person on the other side of the table. Tango’s face scrunched up in thought.

“I mean, if the NHL and computers don’t work out.”

“Thanks, Tony. I think I’ll stick with computers though. Pay’s better.”

Nursey had been worried for awhile, after Bitty graduated, about how they would all eat at the Haus. He’d figured they’d probably be subject to the whims of the dining hall all the time again. Apparently, he shouldn’t have doubted his d-man. There was less pie, sure. But the coaches actually seemed pretty happy about that.

It only took a few mouthfuls of eggs to realize that coffee wasn’t Dex’s only strong suit. “You could just cook for me instead, Poindexter. I’m sure I could offer better benefits than comp sci.” He stared at his fork. He really did need to find a way to get Dex to cook for him every day for the rest of his life.

Dex’s snort broke him from his reverie. “Ayuh. Love you too, Nurse. Try not to eat it all before Whiskey gets down. I’ve gotta get to class.”

As far as chirpbacks go, Dex’s was pretty lame. So it made no sense that Nursey thought about it all through his classes that day. Or that he was still thinking about it while spotting Dex at the gym during conditioning that afternoon. It was the sort of chirpback his mom would make to his dad when he took her for granted or was thoughtlessly rude. Which didn’t make sense now, because he’d been giving Dex a compliment. It was probably just Poindexter being weird about money stuff being brought up again.

So why was he still thinking about the way “love you too, Nurse” sounded coming out of Dex’s mouth? 

It wasn’t until his poetry homework had somehow devolved into a treatise on Seurat that he admitted to himself what he had known. 

Of course, he’d already known and admitted to himself that he had a crush on Dex. That was week one, Frog year. The problem was that, wholly without his permission, his feelings had grown into something rather more. Something that might be called love by an inveterate romantic. A more pragmatic person would probably say that love required more familiarity. More time to mature. More depth and breadth and….something.

Nursey decided that he’d signed on as a romantic in middle school and there was no need to change teams now.

He went looking for Dex.

He found him in the kitchen, washing dishes.

“You know we have a dishwasher, right?”

“Ayuh. It’s stove up. I’m right out straight this week, so I won’t be able to look until after the games this weekend.”

Nursey nodded and picked up a towel to start drying while Dex scrubbed and rinsed. “You know, this morning, when I said you could cook for me, I meant it as a compliment. I really like your cooking.”

“Ayuh. You’d have said it wouldn’t earn me much keep if you’d been chirping.”

He probably wouldn’t have used that exact phrase, but okay, apparently Dex knew him pretty well. “Chill. And I mean. If you were to cook for me, after we graduate, it wouldn’t have to be because you were my chef or whatever. It could just be because you were there. And it was cheaper than ordering in.”

“Nurse.”

“Poindexter.” Nursey licked his lips and tried to breathe shallowly through his nose while waiting to hear how Dex would respond. There was still wiggle room, Dex could choose to take it some other way. 

“How was your coffee this morning?”

“What?” The plate in his hand clattered onto the counter and he was glad that he hadn’t stepped too far away where it would fall to the floor and shatter.

“How was your coffee this morning?”

He knew that he’d given Dex a way out, but the non sequitur was really confusing. “It was good? Two creams, three sugars. Just how I like it.” 

“And how many guys on the team do you think I have memorized the way they take their coffee and make sure to have it ready prepared when they stumble downstairs with their eyes barely open?”

Nursey turned and stared at Dex’s profile before blinking a few times. He hadn’t actually considered the fact that the only way he got his coffee perfectly made and the perfect temperature was if Dex prepared it that way. “Um, everyone in the Haus?”

Dex sighed and turned off the water before turning to look at Nursey head on. “Just one. I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you.” 

“Chill.” It wasn’t the right response, but it was the automatic one. It didn’t make sense. Dex was on team pragmatic, not team romantic. 

Dex gave a small nod and a slight, sad smile before turning to leave. Nursey’s body reacted without conscious input on his part, reaching out for Dex’s arm. With his momentum, Dex pulled away from Nursey’s hand, leaving it trailing down Dex’s arm until their fingers twined together as Dex stopped. 

“Love you too, Poindexter.”

“Sure, you just want me for my coffee making skills.”

“Even if you never make me coffee or cook me breakfast again.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean, I’ll be sad. Probably mopey. I’ll give you puppy dog eyes almost as bad as Chowder’s. But yeah. I’ll still love you.”

Dex had turned and was moving slowly back towards Nursey now, until they were nearly nose to nose. “Ugh. Not puppy dog eyes. My one weakness.”

“Chill. There are probably other things you could do to wake me up, anyway.” 

“Like what?”

“Like this.” Nursey closed the remaining gap between them to press his lips to Dex’s. Dex’s hands settled on his hips, a firm, grounding grip that pulled him closer without boxing him in. He let his own hands wander over Dex’s back and up into his hair while he tilted his head and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.

Eventually they broke apart, letting their foreheads rest against each other. 

“Well. I think I could probably manage that on days that I don’t cook for you.”

“Food’s overrated.”


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @sevendaysatatime requested L from [this list](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/187583718365/send-me-characters-and-a-letter-and-ill-write) which is A Stolen Kiss. No character or pair was indicated so… y’all know me. NurseyDex it was.

The bus was quiet and dark. Everyone had settled from the adrenaline of the game and most were napping as they drove through the night. Nursey finally looked away from his Kindle and blinked a few times to allow his eyes to readjust away from the screen. No matter how many trips his parents took him on, he’d never been able to fall asleep while moving and the roadie bus was no different.

He knew he shouldn’t be reading in the dark, but it was a really good book. And it was distracting him from the fact that apparently, he and Dex were sitting together on roadies again. 

Which was a fancy way of saying he had paid a lot more attention to the warmth of Dex’s thigh pressed against his than to the plot of the last chapter. 

He sighed and turned the Kindle off. He glanced at his headphones. Could he risk music or a movie?

He glanced at Dex and then froze. He’d seen Dex sleep before. They’d shared rooms on roadies, and for a few weeks at the Haus. He didn’t make a habit of watching Dex sleep. That would be creepy. Still, seeing Dex without the worry wrinkle in his forehead, seeing his long golden eyelashes curl against his skin, seeing him relaxed and soft, it always made Nursey have to pause and catch his breath. 

He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Dex’s sleeping lips. 

His brain caught up to what he’d just done and he pressed himself back into his seat and focused his eyes on the roof of the bus while trying not to breathe too loudly, sure that if he could just sit still and quiet then Dex would sleep through it and everything would be fine.

“It’s considered polite to ask first, you know.”

Nursey closed his eyes. Apparently, he’d used up all his luck in the game earlier.

His lap got warmer and his eyes popped open to see Dex rearranging his travel blanket so that it covered them both.

“What are you doing?”

“You go all Prince Phillip on me, figured I could share my blanket.” Dex paused and tilted his head at Nursey’s tablet. “Go ahead and watch your show. I don’t mind.” 

“You’re… being pretty chill.” 

Dex hummed in response and then wiggled a little bit as he resettled in his seat, cuddled closer to Nursey. “Was beginning to worry that you were waiting on me and then we’d be stuck forever.”

“What?” Nursey wasn’t opposed to what was happening, just very confused by it.

“Social etiquette. Maybe the…” he trailed off and then lifted a hand to make a vague gesture. “Normative social roles impressed upon you were different. The commoner doesn’t get to kiss the Prince. Has to be the Prince to kiss the commoner.”

Nursey struggled to form words, but Dex leaned his head on Nursey’s shoulder and Nursey promptly forgot most of the English language.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked for H for Dex and Draskireis asked for H for NurseyDex. [H (from this list)](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/187583718365/send-me-characters-and-a-letter-and-ill-write) is Greatest Fear. This might have gotten away from me a little bit.

Dex wasn’t sure who originally started the practice of asking weird questions on the roadie bus; they’d been doing it longer than he’d been on the team. He was sure that whoever had come up with the current question hadn’t thought it through enough.

Why would anyone actually admit to their greatest fear to the whole team? The chirping would be relentless.

“Dex! You’re up! What’s your greatest fear?”

He looked over from his book at the waiting faces of the taddies and waffles. “The ocean.” 

Having fulfilled his duties, he turned back to his book. 

“Bullshit. You work on a boat in the summers.” Stenny’s voice was grating

“That’s why I know to fear the ocean.”

The rest of the team kept grumbling, so he sighed. “Fine. My greatest fear is that I’ll lose my scholarship and then drown in a mountain of student loan debt that I can never repay because I decided to go to an ivy league school instead of a sensible state school.”

He pinned Stenny with a glare, daring him to push it.

“My greatest fear is having to touch a puck off the ice.” Everyone turned to look at Chowder.

Dex tried to convey his thanks with a smile. 

“Bullshit again! That doesn’t count! That’s just a superstition.”

Nursey stood up and cocked an eyebrow. “Puckphobia is a real thing. You allowed it when Hops said his fear was spiders.”

“That’s because spiders are freaky. Pucks are just pucks.”

“What part of ‘irrational fear’ is confusing you about the definition of phobia, Stenny?”

After that, the discussion devolved into low level grumbling which Dex ignored in favor of returning his attention to his book. 

He was able to push the conversation from his mind until they got to the hotel and he dropped onto one of the beds.

“Hey, Poindexter?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for not telling your real fear. If you’d said you were afraid of not being accepted for yourself, they might have…. Anyway. That was chill. Thanks.”

Dex rolled over until he could see Nursey. “First of all, you don’t owe a performance to anyone. Anyone that doesn’t accept you for who you are doesn’t deserve to know you and you should probably just cut them out and leave them behind.”

“Bold words for someone who couldn’t even live with me for two full months.”

“You were trying to run me out of the Haus and me moving out had nothing to do with my acceptance of you.” Dex paused and considered. “If I made you feel like you weren’t accepted, then I’m really sorry.”

“‘S Chill.”

Dex groaned and rolled back onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “It’s not chill. I never want to make you feel like that.”

Dex closed his eyes and counted out his breaths to keep them measured. The room was quiet for several minutes. He wasn’t sure if that helped or hurt his efforts at remaining calm.

“What’s second?”

“What?”

“You said ‘first of all’ earlier. So, what’s second?”

“Oh. That’s not my greatest fear.”

“Chill, Poindexter. I figured out frog year that’s why you fix all the stuff around the Haus.”

“Ayuh. It’s a big fear. Just not the biggest.” He owed Nursey honesty, at least.The bed dipped and Dex didn’t open his eyes to figure out that Nursey had sat on the other side of it. “Then what is? You know mine.”

“Figured it was obvious.”

Nursey filled the pause before Dex could continue. “People getting hurt?”

Dex huffed a laugh. “That pretty much covers all the other big ones. People I love getting hurt. People I love getting hurt and I’m there but can’t manage to stop it. People I love getting hurt and it’s my fault.” He licked his lips. “That last one. That’s the biggest.”

“That’s irrational. You wouldn’t hurt anyone. People always assume you’re a fighter, because of stereotypes I guess. But you’re secretly soft. You’d never hurt someone you love.”

“Wouldn’t I though? Haven’t I? Even when trying to prevent y-them from getting hurt. I keep causing it.” He pushed himself all the way up until he was standing. “I’m gonna go get some ice.”

When he returned to the room fifteen minutes later, Nursey was still sitting on his bed, but now he had the ice bucket in his lap.

“You didn’t come right back, so I don’t think you wanted ice.”

Dex grunted and sat in the chair in the corner.

“You’re right, you know. I was trying to run you out of the room. I thought…. I thought if I ran you out of the room intentionally, then it would hurt less than you moving out because I wasn’t good enough. But then, I just kept thinking that it proved that you didn’t even want to be there. That we weren’t even really friends. You hadn’t even wanted to room with me from the start.” 

Dex’s breath hitched. “My scholarship covers room and board.”

“Chill.”

“No. I mean.” He paused and took a few deep breaths. “Staying in the dorms is free for me. Getting dibs. Moving out of the room and staying in the Haus. That costs me more than staying in the dorms or going back to them.”

The room was silent for a long time and he wasn’t sure if Nursey understood what he was saying.

“You never spend money unnecessarily. I’ve seen you wash and reuse plastic bags. You save all the holiday wrapping paper. You wouldn’t let me change the thermostat because it would increase the gas bill.”

“Ayuh. That’s all true.”

The room went silent again. 

Once again, it was Nursey who broke it. “You aren’t to blame for my arm.”

“If I hadn’t yelled at you about crashing the boards, you wouldn’t have turned.”

“And I still would have tried to climb over at the gate and broken it. Shit happens.”

Dex rolled his eyes and kept them firmly directed towards the window.

“Wait….” 

And then he froze.

“People you love…. Poindexter…. Chill.” 

There was rustling and the sound of a few footsteps and before Dex could turn and figure out what was happening, Nursey was in front of him, craddling his face.

“Poindexter. Honesty hour. Do you love me?”

Dex swallowed hard and stared into Nursey’s eyes. He’d already decided that Nursey deserved the truth. It seemed Nursey was determined to get all of it, even if it meant leaving Dex in pieces.

He nodded.

“I’m in love with you and I think I might be seeing what I want to see, so I’m really going to need you to say it for me.”

“I love you. Probably in love with you. Not sure if it’s possible to know at this point?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Dex nodded again until his face was stilled by Nursey’s lips finding his own. 

After a moment, Dex pulled back. “Kneeling isn’t good for your knees.”

Nursey looked at him for a moment before grinning. “Laying down is ok, though, right?”

“Ayuh.”

“Chill.”

Once they were cuddled together on the bed, Dex allowed himself a few moments to just feel Nursey in his arms and try to believe it was real.

“Do you think anyone actually gave their greatest fear?” Nursey was playing with a button on Dex’s flannel, which was very distracting even as he asked the question.

“We both know that puckphobia isn’t Chowder’s biggest fear. And judging by the photos of Hops’s pet tarantula, he’s not an arachnophobe, either.”

“Hmm.” Nursey nuzzled his nose into Dex’s shoulder. “Can I stay here tonight? In your bed?”

Dex swallowed hard. “Um. I mean. We should probably talk some more, before we do anything too….” He trailed off, unsure as to how to explain that he wanted to do this right. Committed, not casual.

“Chill. We definitely should. I mean. I’m down for more kissing, if you are. And definitely the talking thing. But I just meant like, sharing a bed. Just sleeping.”

“Oh. Yeah. Of course.” 

“Chill. Tomorrow I get to start wooing you.”

“Wait, no. I didn’t agree to wooing.”

“Too late. You love me. I get to woo you.”

“Okay, but if I already love you, then wooing is moot.”

“Don’t try to use your fancy logic on me.”


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @manchurian-candycane  
> Request was Nurseydex, A (fire/flames) [from this list](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/187583718365/send-me-characters-and-a-letter-and-ill-write) \- “if it could be a campfire that’d be great but no pressure either way!”

The flames were throwing warm light and shadows over Dex’s skin; kissing and caressing it and making Nursey yearn to do the same. He dragged his eyes away and back to the fire itself. 

Or more precisely, the hotdog on a stick that he was holding in the fire. He decided it was done and pulled it back to put it on the bread.

“It’s not ready yet.”

“Chill, Poindexter. It’s fine.”

Dex pressed his lips together and Nursey considered it a win. 

Until he took a bite of his hotdog and nearly spat it back out. Damn Dex for being right anyway. Now he couldn’t put the hotdog back in the fire without admitting that he should have listened. He steeled himself for another bite.

“Nurse, I am literally begging you not to eat that undercooked hotdog. I mean. I know hotdogs are precooked or whatever, but that has to be nasty.”

“Chill. Never had better.” He took the bite. 

“It’s ok. Cooking over flame is a lot different than any other cooking. It’s wicked finicky. It’s harder to get that authentic New York street dog flavor.”

Nursey wanted to retort, but his throat was refusing to swallow the bite he’d taken. He slouched down and chewed some more. Nothing of this trip had gone like he’d expected it to. It was camping camping, with a tent and a shovel for a bathroom and cooking over a campfire. The only good thing had been getting to watch Dex’s shoulders as he rowed them out to the island in a canoe. 

And maybe the few small daydreams that Nursey allowed himself that it was a romantic excursion as Dex rowed. 

But now he was stuck on some deserted island full of bugs, eating a cold hotdog, and trying not to think about kissing his d-man partner. So, all in all, not the fun trip he’d imagined.

Dex handed him a plastic bag. “Just spit it out in here.” 

Once his hand was free, Dex prepped the hotdog he’d been roasting and handed that over to Nursey as well. 

It tasted wonderful. Everything Dex cooked tasted wonderful.

“This wasn’t what I had in mind when you said you were going camping.” He didn’t mean to say it. Dex probably knew, but he had meant to keep up the facade.

“Ayuh. What did you have in mind?”

“Lodges. Maybe a yurt. Definitely something with actual beds and toilets.”

“Room service?”

“Chill!” He looked at Dex affronted, but then he had to concede the point. “I didn’t expect room service, but I did think it would be nice.”

Dex nodded as he put another hotdog over the flames. “Would you have invited yourself along if you knew what my kind of camping was?”

Nursey thought about it. Thought about the prospect of sleeping on air mattress. Thought about the smell of citronella candles around them to ward off bugs. Thought about the taste of the hotdog that Dex had given him. Thought about the canoe trip. 

“Probably. Maybe.”

Dex nodded again and stared at the fire. “I’m sorry.”

“What? Why?” The flames were doing their dance over Dex’s face again, leaving his expression unreadable and his skin so inviting.

“I didn’t think you would. So, I didn’t clarify. I should have.” Dex stopped and looked off to the side for a moment before turning his gaze on Nursey. “You deserved the truth. But I was worried you wouldn’t want to spend time with me if it was just me.”

“Wait, you wanted me to come?”

Dex sighed. “Ayuh. I thought it might be romantic. The island, the campfire, the stars.”

“The canoe trip. You shouldn’t forget that. That was very romantic, too.”

Dex tilted his head slightly. “Yeah?”

“Ch’yeah. I think I wrote three odes to your shoulders on the way over.”

“That’s not romance, that’s-”

Nursey gave in to his thoughts about tracing the light on Dex’s skin and ran his fingertips over Dex’s cheek before pressing his lips to Dex’s. He pulled away just enough to speak. “They were very romantic odes.”

“Oh. Okay.”


End file.
